The Rural Voice, 1989-07, Page 14Quality
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12 THE RURAL VOICE
"LOVE STORY"
MAKES HEADLINES
The political climate has become
so murky, so clouded in deceit, that a
love story of a giant multinational and
Agriculture Canada may brighten your
day ... then it may not.
"Cargill, Ag Canada on the same
track," read the headline in the West-
ern Producer publication.
Veteran Parliament Hill reporter
Barry Wilson led off his story:
"OTTAWA — A government
memo says Cargill Grain Ltd. exec-
utives and senior Agriculture Canada
officials think alike on the issue of
how to change Canadian farm policy."
Then the reporter went on to quote
from the memo circulated over the
signature of deputy agriculture
minister Jacques Noreau in response
to a brief from Cargill outlining the
type of farm policy Canada should
have.
"The principles for agriculture
reform presented in Cargill's brief are
consistent with government policy
direction," the memo read.
Among other things, the
department agreed on the need for
plant breeders' rights legislation...
Hold on! Stop a minute, please!
Just what's going on here?
If you feel the way I do, this is a
more than legitimate question.
Mr. Deputy Minister, and of course
Mr. Minister Don Mazankowski, how
in hell did a government of the
Canadian people slip into bed with a
multinational whose major interest is
self-interest?
Is it just a case of Cargill making a
convincing lobby effort from the
outside, as farm groups try their
darnedest to do?
Not quite, folks, would be my
guess. This convincing lobby effort
was not launched, hat in hand, from
the outside, as mere mortal farm
organizations launch their efforts.
No, it was done from the inside.
If it weren't so blatant, it would
normally be considered an inside job.
But it was blatant. In a policy
initiated by Mr. America Brian
Mulroney, Cargill Canada vice-
president David E. Gilmore worked
from the summer of 1985 to the
summer of 1987 in the office of the
deputy agriculture minister.
It was sort of an exchange pro-
gram of civil servant and business
bureaucrats which would best be
described as "Multinationals and big
business first, Canadians second."
The exchange of big -business
execs involved several ministries,
including Michael Wilson's all-
important finance ministry.
The pros and cons of the Cargill
brief won't be discussed in this col-
umn. What will be discussed, and it
will be short, is the economic phil-
andering of this federal government.
Mr. Mulroney, the Canadian
people provided your political bed.
It was we who made your bed, so
ultimately we decide who sleeps in it.
Cargill isn't welcome.0
Gord Wainman has been an urban -
based agriculture reporter for 13 years.
THE WRITE STUFF'?
Wanted: People from
Huron, Perth, Grey, Bruce,
and Dufferin counties with
an agricultural orientation
who can write features
or cover news stories, or
simply send in reports
of local meetings or
community activities.
Write: The Rural Voice
10A The Square, Box 37
Goderich, Ontario N7A 3Y5