NEWS RELEASE
June 7, 2000 For Immediate Release
GOVERNMENT STALLS FARMERS' AIDA PAYMENTS
"Government incompetence means farmers continue to wait for AIDA support "
Ottawa -
The federal government's incompetence is again front and centre as Garry Breitkreuz, Member of Parliament for Yorkton - Melville and Official Opposition Agriculture Critic, has discovered more delays and problems with the AIDA program. Breitkreuz has learned that because agreements between the provinces and the federal government have not been finalized, payments to farmers for the 1999-year are being delayed. "Farmers who need the funding provided by AIDA are having to sit and wait for the government to sign off on the changes to the program. Some farmers applied early because they thought the payment would come sooner so they could pay some bills. Unfortunately, this government doesn't understand the farmers' plight - they seem to just putter along with no feeling for the farmer’s hardship that their lack of action is making worse," stated Breitkreuz.Breitkreuz is even more frustrated by the government's inability to live up to their promises. The Agriculture Minister specifically told farmers to apply early so their application could be processed faster. An April 13, 2000 Agriculture and Agri-food Canada news release stated: 'To avoid processing delays, farmers should focus on providing accurate and complete information on their applications. It is not necessary for farmers to calculate their payments.' "This gave farmers the indication that if they fill out their application early, it would be dealt with quickly and efficiently and a payment would not take long to process. In many cases the forms have been processed and the payments have been calculated, but there is no money to distribute. The federal and provincial governments’ delay in signing the new bilateral agreements means farmers continue to wait. I understand it could be another month before the agreements are finalized," stated Breitkreuz.
Delays are a regular occurrence with this government when it comes to AIDA. A February 25, 2000 background information release from Agriculture and Agri-food Canada informed producers that '1999 AIDA Applications will be available by March 17, 2000.' It wasn't until April 13, 2000 that the applications were available. "That is almost one month later than promised. Trust in government is at an all-time low because of the handling of the AIDA program," emphasized Breitkreuz.
The level of frustration among farmers is beginning to grow due to the delays in the AIDA program. "I receive calls daily from farmers who are fed up. Producers have had to deal with numerous requests from AIDA for the same information. When they keep asking for the same information over and over again, farmers begin to wonder if any of this is necessary or is it just a stalling tactic? Why doesn’t the government pay out the funds as promised?" Breitkreuz asked.
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For more information please call:
Yorkton: 1-800-667-6606
Ottawa: (613) 992-4394
Email:
breitg2@sk.sympatico.ca Web site: www.garrybreitkreuz.com