NEWS RELEASE  

November 19, 1999                                                                                          For Immediate Release

Breitkreuz Tells PM Farm Aid-- not Foreign Aid-- Is Needed

"Before the PM starts promising foreign aid he should look in his own backyard first."

Yorkton - The Prime Minister’s lack of concern for Western Canadian farmers and his sympathy for third world countries was the focus of a statement Thursday in the House of Commons by Garry Breitkreuz, Member of Parliament for Yorkton - Melville and Official Opposition Agriculture Critic. "During a recent trip to Africa, the Prime Minister said that Canada has been lacking in its contributions to third world countries and should increase its monetary support. The same statement would apply to the lack of attention our prairie farmers have received from this Liberal government. Before we start doling out cash all over the world you should make sure the people in your own country are getting the help they need," Breitkreuz stated.

The Prime Minister’s actions prompted this statement in the House of Commons:

Mr. Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton—Melville, Ref.): Mr. Speaker, the comments by the Prime Minister of this country are very distressing. As part of his tour of Africa he said that Canada has not done enough to help out third world countries and will in future contribute more money to these nations.

The Prime Minister should look in his own backyard first. Travelling halfway around the world to see people needing help is unnecessary. Come to my home province of Saskatchewan and see the suffering going on in rural communities. He gives aid to foreign countries, but will not look at supporting the people who put the food on his plate every day. Here is what one of my constituents had to say:

"To hear the Prime Minister promise more aid to another country with my money when I could use that money myself seems, well, just plain wrong."

The government has lost touch with the rural segment of our society. This Prime Minister should make a trip out to the prairies to see suffering in his own country. When will he realize that if he does not take any action on the prairies, he will have a third world country to bail out, but this time it will be his own?

"The PM is more concerned about people in third world countries than he is about farmers in Western Canada. Mr. Chretien can visit foreign countries to see people suffering, yet he refuses to come out to the prairies and talk with farmers who are also suffering from the worst crisis since the Great Depression. Maybe if we separate from the rest of Canada and then apply for foreign aid, we might get the support we need from this Liberal government," declared Breitkreuz.

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For more information please call:

Yorkton: 1-800-667-6606

Ottawa: (613) 992-4394

e-mail: breitg2@sk.sympatico.ca