The Citizen, 1987-06-03, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 1987.
Simplistic solutions won't help ordinary people
In a complex world, people like simple solutions to even the biggest of problems.
It must, then, have come as a relief to politicians and urban dwellers to be able to
come up with a simple culprit and a simple solution to the crisis on the farm,
subsidies.
There is no doubt subsidy programs have destabilized markets for some farm
commodities. European countries, particularly, caused problems. Aware of the
necessity to be self-sufficient in food, those countries subsidized farm prices. The
more they subsidized, the more farmers produced, and Europe suddenly had to
find foreign markets. When they cut into U.S. foreign markets, the Americans
retaliated with their subsidy programs that caused more grain surplusses and cut
prizes further.
But to blame the whole problem on subsidies is idiotic. The farm crisis arises
from a complex blend of causes: from a mistaken idea in the 1970’s that the
production of food would give countries power, and thus brought the urging of
governments to have farmers plant “fence row to fence row”; from government
policies that killed inflation by raising lending rates; by escalating input costs;
Deals done in the dark
Finally last week, thanks to the cantankerous comments of
former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, some light was shed on
the late-night constitutional deal made at Meech Lake. It may
have been too late (by the time this appears the final deal may be
signed) but the debate should open our eyes to make sure there
are no more deals done in the dark.
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney used some of his old labour
negotiation skills to get the deal. He locked all the premiers in
the room and told them they couldn’t get out until a deal was
signed. They couldn’t even consult with their advisors.
Canadians were stunned that, unlike the earlier open
constitutional sessions of the Trudeau era that seemed to go on
forever with nothing but acrimony, this deal was consummated
in one late-night session. Most of us were only too happy to
believe that a new era in federal-provincial politics had been
started.
But for those who looked at what had been signed, questions
soon arose. For one thing, what did the phrases used really
mean? Did the premiers, deprived of expert help, even know
what they had agreed to. For instance, The Journal last week
revealed that in the clause allowing provinces to opt out of
federal programs but get full financial compensation Quebec
had insisted on a change of two words.
The other premiers apparently didn’t think it was a
significant change. Premier Bourassa of Quebec apparently
thought it made a huge difference and has said so once.
What was agreed to, however, wouldn’t have been so bad if
there was a real chance for discussion and clarification. We
didn ’tget it. When the first constitutional changes were made,
Joe Clark, as opposition leader, insisted on hearings by a
Parliamentary committee. The justice minister Jean Chretien
spent more than 100 hours in front of the committee. This time
there hasn’t been any open public forum.
The opposition parties haven’t been any help. Neither John
Turner or Ed Broadbent have shown themselves to be real
leaders. They’ve been more concerned with their parties’
standing in Quebec than the future of the country.
Some constitutional experts have objected to the haste. Some
people like Pat Nowlan of the Conservatives and Don Johnston
the Liberals have cared enough about their country’s future to
risk their political futures to break the conspiracy of silence but
for the most part honest debate has been muzzled. People kept
saying they would wait for the official text, yet by the time the
premiers signed the official text, it would be too late to get the
changes.
Prime Minister Mulroney, after the Trudeau attacks, said he
was proud of the Meech Lake accord. If so, why be in such a
hurry? Why not let it stand up to the scrutiny of full public
debare in a Commons Committee?
The two basic attractions of the agreement are that it gets
Quebec to sign the constitution and that all the premiers liked it.
Why shouldn’t they? They got everything their little hearts
wanted, atthis moment anyway. Who knows what more they’ll
want next month?
Part of the reason the constitutional debates of the early ‘80’s
were so fractious was the very openness of the process with all
premiers able to take shots at the prime minister in front of a
television audience. That may have been less peaceful than the
deal done in the night at Meech Lake but at least we knew what
deals were being done.
from farmers who bid up the cost of land in the heady 1970’s; from falling farm
prices that left farmers with no collateral to cover loans when prices were low; from
greed; from bad timing in making farming decisions that a few years earlier (and
maybe a few years later) would have been sound business decisions.
But the idea that cutting subsidies can solve the problem is just too inviting. For
urban people it lets them off the hook: the farmers are themselves to blame for
their problems by lobbying too hard for subsidies. Therefore we can do our best for
them by cutting off the subsidies.
It’s a great argument for the government, too. Canada must show a good
example to other nations to get them to cut their subsidies, so therefore we can’t
give aid to our farmers, even if they are hurting.
Simple solutions are nice, but they aren’t real solutions. If government, and
urban people, think it is a solution to lose a future generation of farmers and the
rural communities that depend on those farmers, they’re sadly mistaken. In the
short run the farmers and farm communities will suffer but the country will
eventually pay the price for this mistake.
I The International
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!Z
A Canadian success
BY RAYMOND CANON
Most of the year the phone lines
between Switzerland and the
Canon household are strangely
silent, that is in the direction
Canada. I phone over there on a
rather regular basis but that is
about all. Then, just when you
think that it is going to be a quiet
day, the phone startstoring at 6
a.m. and sure enough, it is
somebody from Switzerland trying
to get a head start on the
opposition.
First of all, let me assure you that
they do not get me out of bed. I am
an early riser anyway and 6 a.m.
usually finds me downstairs at the
word processor getting an editorial
ready for the day’s reading. What
the caller from Switzerland wants
to know is whether or not I can get
him some “Eglifilets” if he is
speaking German or “filets de
perche’’ if French is his native
tongue.
By looking at the French you may
have guessed that we are talking
about perch filets; to be more
preciseyellow perch filets from
Lake Erie. It is a delicacy for the
Swiss, somuchsothattheSwiss
Germans call it ‘ *Eglifilets” just do
distinguish it from the run-of-the-
mill perch that can be bought
elsewhere. When there is a
shortage over there and when the
Swiss franc is at a favourable rate of
exchange with the Canadian dol
lar, I can count on the phone
ringing early in the spring and so
that is exactly what it did this year.
My wife always claims that when
I am talking on the phone to
Switzerland and the language in
useisGerman, itsoundsasifwe
are declaring World War III.
Sometimes I tend to agree with her,
especially if we have a bad
connection but at any rate business
gets done and the outcome of it a/j
is that in a short time a load ot tresn
perch fillets is on its way to
Switzerland in the cargo hold of a
Swissair jetlinerwhose passengers
are probably blissfully unaware
that fish of any kind is taking the
same flight as they. Let’s take a
look at what happens from the time
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