Debates of Nov. 25th, 1999

Independent Truckers

[Brent St. Denis, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Natural Resources]

Madam Speaker, the future of all families in Cape Breton will be brighter as a result of the steps the government has taken to build a solid foundation for tomorrow.

Following the transfer of the responsibilities of the industrial development division of Devco to Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation in 1988, Devco's sole focus became coal mining. At about the same time, successive governments began mandating Devco to attain commercial viability. Unfortunately that goal was not attained.

The government has initiated a process to reshape the coal mining industry on Cape Breton island with the objective of maintaining up to 500 jobs in a commercial private sector coal mining business.

Bill C-11, the bill to provide Devco with the authority to sell its operations is now before the House. I would like to note that the member for Sydney—Victoria has indicated that there are some good things in the Devco divestiture bill.

Passage of this bill and the finalization of a sale will remove uncertainty about the future of coal mining in Cape Breton. Most important, finalization of a sale will also confirm the continuance of good solid coal mining jobs in a commercial private sector operation.

It is also important to look beyond coal mining. Since 1967 the federal government has provided over $500 million to diversify the Cape Breton economy, first through the industrial development division of Devco and beginning in 1988 through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation.

Today the government continues to invest about $20 million annually in economic development on Cape Breton through ACOA and ECBC. The goal is and will continue to be to diversify the Cape Breton economy beyond coal.

In addition to this, we have allocated another $68 million to fund sustainable economic development initiatives in Cape Breton. The province of Nova Scotia is providing an additional $12 million for the same purpose.

[The Acting Speaker (Ms. Thibeault)]

I am afraid I must interrupt the parliamentary secretary as the time has expired.

[Inky Mark, Reform, Dauphin—Swan River, MB]

Madam Speaker, when I asked the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food how he would transfer the money for farmers in crisis from the cabinet table to the kitchen table, he responded by saying “All the money will go through the process and the farmers will get it”. Unfortunately, the process the minister has faith in does not work and the money has not flowed to the farmers.

Fifty-nine per cent of Manitoba farmers who applied for AIDA were rejected. Close to 3,000 claims remain unprocessed. How can the minister believe that his process is working? Three-quarters of the AIDA money is still in government coffers and not in the hands of farmers.

Farmers in my riding are crying for help. They are farmers like Phil Lewis from Minnedosa who said “AIDA is a wild card and banks do not like it”. He has had 900 unseeded acres this year.

David Hamlin from Miniota said “We have been farming since 1972 on a family farm established since 1910. I will have to go out and get a job to stay afloat”.

Dorothy Andrew from Rossburn, Manitoba said “Another machinery dealer was here today and he wasn't here to offer a decrease in the payments on the machinery”.

Walter Stadnyk of Grandview said “Our forefathers worked hard to create the family farm. My two sons want to farm but won't be able to. It cost me $500 to fill out the AIDA forms and I was rejected”.

Maggie Creber from Newdale said “We the farmers are in trouble. We have no crops in and what was seeded at this date has very little chance to be a good crop. We are looking for aid and we shouldn't have to beg for it”.

George Guley of Ethelbert said “AIDA does not work”. He did not qualify and he cannot get work. What are producers like him expected to do?

Cam Flett from Angusville said “Many of your government grants are a terrible waste of money. The plight of farmers, health care and education are far more important and should be recognized as such”.

Ross Matheson from Decker, Manitoba said “No farmer wants to have to beg our government for subsidies, but the economics producers face are seemingly impossible”.

Herbert Christian from Kenville said “The AIDA formula does not recognize the extreme need of farmers who have had depressed incomes for several years”.

I end by saying that John Puchailo from Grandview said that he is afraid that there will be a full-blown civil revolution to clean out the government because it just does not listen or care about the west.

There is no doubt that farmers in Dauphin—Swan River and in the west need help. We need to take away the politics. Let us help those Canadians who need help. Premier Romanow and Premier Doer came to Ottawa asking for help and were denied. What will it take for this Liberal government to help the farmers in crisis?

[Brent St. Denis, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Natural Resources]

Madam Speaker, the changes the government has introduced to the AIDA program will benefit many producers across the country.

We will now be covering negative margins. Negative margins occur when a farm has a particularly bad year and the operation has insufficient revenues to cover variable costs like fuel, machinery repair and chemicals. These due dollars will go to those farm families that need help to cover their variable costs.

What will also help farmers to get through these tough times is that they now have the option to make a one-time choice in 1999 of the reference period on which the payment calculation for AIDA is based. They will be able to choose either the previous three years or three of the previous five years where the high and low income years are not counted.

This will be a real help to farmers as they will not need to count a low income year they may have had due to flooding, drought, or some other occurrence beyond their control. This will provide better stability and more effective support to those farmers who find themselves in this type of situation.

As well, we are committed to having all processing of the AIDA claims completed by Christmas in provinces where the federal government delivers the program, as is the case in Manitoba.

As of today, November 25, the total value of AIDA payments in Manitoba is $33.7 million. These program changes and the total amount of money to be paid out by Christmas will help the farmers get through the tough times the hon. member referred to.

[The Acting Speaker (Ms. Thibeault)]

The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted.

Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 6:27 p.m.)