BSE not an insurmountable problem

By John Phillips

Before his coronation, Prime Minister Paul Martin assured rural
Canadians that "the time for a lot of talk and rhetoric was over." He was referring to the mounting mad cow disease crisis, and party flacks assured hesitant Canadians that no more time would be spent on waffling.

Further support seemed to come from President Bush who stressed there must be "very close co-ordination" of "regulation and science."

Mr. Martin’s crucial 100 days of effective power are over but mad cow disease still burdens major producing provinces, Ontario and Alberta, and the country now endures lectures on the need for prudent spending. However, who picks up the tab?

We have the same groups clamouring at the gate as always. We have the plump trade unions calling for a "modest" wage hike of eight per cent or a 25 per cent wage hike over three years. This at a time when there is virtually no inflation.

Then some corporation chiefs insist the time has arrived for product price "improvement," while government employees suddenly discover they are grossly underpaid. It seems practically every segment of Canada’s economy seeks wage or profit enhancement, at least if we are to believe plump union or corporate leaders. Yes, most of this is utter nonsense but, so far, no one will call the shots.

Tragically, the beef cattle industry is lost in the scramble despite near unanimous agreements that it is in a perilous state. More than 50 per cent of our output normally goes to the U.S. but mad cow here has crucified producers who are not blessed with the brightest leaders. How wonderful it would be if they advanced a workable plan that would protect producers over the next 18 months or so. Do producers need $1 billion or $2 billion in disaster relief?

Discussing figures of this magnitude leaves politicians, especially Prime Minister Martin, in a sweat. They have few problems finding a secret $250 million for Quebec and almost losing the amount in paper shuffling. This would be a whopping one-quarter of the $1 billion needed for beef producers until mid-2005, depending on the amount needed to cover beef families. Described in these terms, Canada does not have an insurmountable crisis.

Further, the program should be co-financed by the affected provinces, so Ottawa would find the fiscal burden cut by 40 per cent. This news alone must soften the thinking of "big spending" politicians but they would have to cut their department budgets for a year or so, assuming they follow normal spending and budgeting practices.

Paralleling this measure, various cattle associations must group their structures and speak with one voice.

Equally important, there should be no time for internal deliberations. Producers need the money at once, not at a date sometime in the future. Established farm leaders must recognize this, and realize that thousands of local farmers need help at once. Are they ready to accept this without reservations? The time is today, not next year or 2006.