national
farmers union
national
farmers union
SASKATOON, Sask.- "After years of promoting the very policies that got us into this farm income crisis, Mr. Hermanson and Mr. Boyd are now asking this province's taxpayers to get us out," said NFU Board member Stewart Wells. Well's comments followed a Sask. Party-lead call yesterday for an immediate $434 million provincial payout to farmers.
"The National Farmers Union rejects the idea that a crisis created by federal mismanagement of an international problem should be solved by payments from a single Canadian province," said Wells.
Wells urged all farmers, organizations, and political parties to remain united in keeping pressure on the federal government. "Farmers understand that we need our provincial government to fight for us in Ottawa like never before. If we ask them to go to the wall for us, we have to back them with a unified voice," said Wells.
He continued: "Hermanson's and Boyd's activities fracture the farm voice, confuse farmers, and take the pressure off the feds. And there seems to be a danger that at least one of the Rally groups may follow them down this destructive path."
"Of course, the provincial government has a responsibility to help stabilize agriculture. There are places like Crop Insurance and Education Tax relief where provincial help is appropriate. But losses due to subsidy wars are clearly a federal responsibility," said Wells.
Wells concluded: "This provincial coalition is the best chance farm families have of ever seeing federal money. We need to be building the coalition, not tearing it down."
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