June 1, 1999 For Immediate Delivery
LIBERAL DISASTER RELIEF PACKAGE NOT ENOUGH TO AVOID TRAGEDY ON THE PRAIRIES
"Farmers who need help the most aren’t getting assistance. Desperation leading to suicide."
Ottawa –Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville and Deputy Agriculture Critic for the Official Opposition had sad news for Parliament today.
Here is the statement Breitkreuz made in the House of Commons today, just prior to Question Period:
Mr. Speaker I regret to inform this house that the farm income crisis on the prairies has resulted in tragedy. Today, I was informed that a Saskatchewan farmer, who was struggling to keep his farm operation going, committed suicide.
Mr. Speaker that is how bad it is on the prairies. This farmer was willing to take his own life and leave behind his family and two young boys because he could no longer deal with the struggles of farming. Our Agriculture Minister has said his new farm aid package, AIDA, as well as NISA and Crop Insurance are enough to get producers through this crisis. Evidently it was not enough for this farmer.
The farm income crisis is far from over Mr. Speaker. Grain prices are not improving and input costs continue to rise. The number of calls coming to the Saskatchewan farm stress line in 1999 is already well above the monthly average for 1998. It’s time the government woke up. Help is needed on the prairies and their current solutions are not working. How many more tragedies does it take before the government realizes that its farm disaster program is not helping the farmers who need it?
"The Minister of Agriculture opted for building a bureaucracy with his AIDA program rather than opting for one that was cost-effective and compassionate," explained Breitkreuz. "Vanclief made the mistake of listening to his bureaucrats rather than farmers. Unfortunately, farmers are paying the price for Ottawa’s mistakes – again."
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For more information, please call:
Yorkton Office: (306) 782-3309
Ottawa Office: (613) 992-4394
e-mail: breitg@parl.gc.ca