PC leader will add pressure to neonic issue says GFO chair

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Ever since the neonics thing started in late 2014, and purportedly even as far back as 2012, the Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) have, to quote federal Ag Minister Gerry Ritz's assessment of the National Farmers Union during the Canadian Wheat Board's final days - "never missed an opportunity to prove they are completely out of touch with reality on the ground."

We have a majority government with well-more than half its term to run, a government with no seats in rural areas, a government with public opinion solidly on its side - get with it grain farmers - THERE IS NO NEONICS ISSUE - it's over.

Because they apparently refuse to realize that government can't stand obstructionist martyrs, Mr. Brock and his minions would be well-served to:

(A) Google "Adrian Measner", the former head of the Canadian Wheat Board who was fired, in late 2006, by then federal ag Minister, Chuck Strahl, only weeks after Measner refused Strahl's directive to endorse the Wheat Board's move away from single desk selling.

(B) Google "Ronald Reagan and the air-traffic controllers" to see how, in the early 1980s, Reagan fired, at once, every air-traffic controller in the US because the controllers were trying to grandstand their way into contracts Reagan didn't want.

Measner, as well as the air-traffic controllers seemed to believe then, like Brock seems to believe now, that "pushing back" against government serves a useful purpose for his employer and/or his career - it does neither.

In the final analysis, Brock still doesn't get the point that a good part of rural Ontario is saying "this looks good on grain farmers" because of the way grain farmers applauded when a previous government railroaded ethanol mandates into existence for the benefit of grain farmers, in spite of the obvious harm these mandates did to hog and cattle feeders.

As usual, my opinions may not be shared by any organization with which I am affiliated - I believe they are, but they are wisely keeping these opinions quiet in case GFO sues them along with the government.

Stephen Thompson, Clinton ON

Thanks for your opinion.
The gov't P1 P1 inventory precautionary principle valuation fiasco was by a majority gov't, yet it didn't prevent you and many industry reps from lobbying the majority gov'ts of the day to change it to P1 P2. Let's just hope that it doesn't take 7 years to let the balance of facts prevail in this precautionary principle case.

Unlike the pro-neonic forces, those of us who opposed, on accounting principles, the P2/P2 inventory accounting policy during the first six years of OWFRP/AIDA, didn't use "dirty" and demeaning (and/or horribly-expensive) arguments to advance our position.

For example, GFO, Crop Life Canada and several other organizations spent almost $350,000 on full-page newspaper ads claiming to "share the facts" about honey bee health, yet, of course did no such thing. The ad claimed that the number of honey bee colonies had increased by almost 60% since 2003, but, completely-damning for an ad which claimed to "share the facts", forgot to mention the critically-important "fact" that honey production on a per colony basis had declined by 40% during the same time period.

That the pro-neonitotinoid forces would, and did, go so-far out of their way to avoid and/or misconstrue "the balance of facts" when squandering $350,000 on newspaper ads, speaks volumes about the credibility of everything else they claim.

Get over it people, the neonics issue is over - GFO and the rest of the pro-neonicotinoid forces have, right from the start, acted in a completely-toxic manner and, as a result, no political party is ever going to show them any consideration at all. Therefore, the only voice grains farmers have at Queens Park, and will have at Queens Park for a long time, is through the OFA.

Finally, the "balance of facts" regarding the bad economics of mandated ethanol have been well-known for over 7 years, yet it is still around - people who hope for some sort of "Hail Mary" play in the next 7 years to rescue them from neonicotinoid restrictions are going to have to wait even longer than beef and hog feeders have waited for a "Hail Mary" play to rescue them from the perfidities of ethanol mandates

As usual, my opinions may not be shared by any organization with which I am affiliated - in this case, however, they should agree with me because I am effectively claiming they are a "rose among thorns".

Stephen Thompson, Clinton ON

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