NEWS RELEASE

October 30, 1998 For Immediate Delivery

FARM INCOME CRISIS TAKING ITS TOLL – CALLS TO FARM STRESS LINE DOUBLE

"Agriculture Minister is wrong! NISA will not begin to protect farmers, the industry and the economy."

Ottawa

Ottawa—Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville and Deputy Agriculture Critic for the Official Opposition slammed the government again for ignoring the signs of the farm income crisis on the prairies. "Yesterday, in the House, Lyle Vanclief, Minister of Agriculture, repeated his mantra, ‘We have put in place a very thorough safety net system in the country.’ How can he ignore the signs of crises that are right in front of his face," asked Breitkreuz. "The safety net system is helping only a few farmers but those most at risk derive very little benefit."

Once again, Breitkreuz rose in the House of Commons to point out the obvious to Vanclief.

The farm income crisis is taking its toll, Mr. Speaker. Record numbers of Saskatchewan farmers are calling the Farm Stress Line this year. In September, the stress line received 147 calls. The Program Co-ordinator for the line says, [and I quote] "There’s been twice as many calls in September compared to other months. The hope is going. If you don’t have hope you don’t have much to look forward to. You can only struggle for so long."

The Minister of Agriculture’s statement that existing farm safety-net programs are enough to deal with the farm income crisis is simply not giving these farmers "hope". The Minister knows that NISA is totally inadequate to help western producers fight unfair foreign subsidies by the United States, unfair trade practices by the European Union, the economic flu in Asia, all of which have resulted in loss of markets for Canadian grain and brutally low commodity prices. When are farmers going to see some action out of the Minister of Agriculture instead of just more talk?

This week, Breitkreuz was able to convince his colleagues in the Reform Caucus to use one of the Official Opposition’s limited Supply Days on Tuesday, November 3^rd to debate his motion calling on the Liberals to defend the interests of Canadian farmers. This week Agriweek reported, "Never before have prices of almost every major commodity classes been down at the same time. This is the first time that the agricultural economy has been on its own through the down phase of an economic cycle."

"Next Tuesday, Reformers are going to put the facts in front of the Minister of Agriculture so that the painful truth is in his hands for everyone to see when he meets with his Provincial counterparts on Wednesday, November 4^th in Ottawa," declared Breitkreuz.

-30-

The Office of Garry Breitkreuz, M.P.

Yorkton: (306) 782-3309
Ottawa: (613) 992-4394