by SUSAN MANN
Farm leaders had a lot to say to federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz last year when he received 102 prearranged contacts from industry groups.
That number made Ritz the most lobbied cabinet minister last year, according to an article in the Jan. 27 issue of the Hill Times, a weekly Ottawa-based newspaper covering politics and government. It’s the second year in a row the federal ag minister has topped the lobby popularity list.
Just under half of the contacts, 44, were about international trade. Ritz’s communications director, Jeff English, says in an email the contacts are “anything that’s prearranged,” such as a phone call or meeting.
The Hill Times article says it was Dairy Farmers of Canada that communicated with Ritz the most last year, followed by Chicken Farmers of Canada and the Canola Council of Canada. Dairy Farmers of Canada was also on the list of groups talking to International Trade Minister Ed Fast, who had a total of 76 prearranged contacts, putting him in the top five of the most lobbied cabinet ministers last year, the Hill Times says.
An emailed statement attributed to Ritz and supplied by English says agriculture is a major economic driver responsible for one in every eight jobs and is the third largest contributor to Canada’s GDP. In addition, agriculture is the largest manufacturing sector in Canada.
“As minister, I meet regularly with forward-thinking groups to discuss how to advance Canada’s diverse agriculture industry by creating opportunities at home and abroad,” the statement says.
According to the 2012/13 annual report of the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada, there are more than 5,000 lobbyists registered to lobby federal public office holders. BF
Comments
What else can I say? Next. Raube Beuerman
Without supply management to defend (or oppose, as is likely the case with the canola people), Gerry Ritz would likely easily become the least-lobbied Minister in Cabinet.
What's worse is that every one of these seemingly never-ending, and seemingly increasingly-desperate, visits by supply management was financed out of the wallets of Canadian consumers who deserve better from those farmers who are supposed to be protecting their interests.
And the ultimate stinkeroo is for Ritz to imply that dairy and poultry farmers are somehow "forward thinking", rather than just greedy and self-centered.
Stephen Thompson, Clinton ON
Let the numbers tell the story - Ag Minister Ritz got 44 meetings last year about international trade, which, in real terms, means supply management. And since DFC and the Chicken Farmers of Canada lobbied him the most, this means supply management is scared, and rightly so
If supply management really believed supply management was secure, two meetings a year would be more-than-enough.
The frequency of their lobbying efforts simply means that in addition to bullying consumers, and being financial bullies in the farm community, supply managed farm organizations are also being bullies with the time Ag Minister Ritz has available to deal with all agricultural issues - it is not fair to the rest of the farm community, and just another reason to get rid of supply management.
Stephen Thompson, Clinton ON
Post new comment