The Canadian cattle industry will receive a $4.4 million boost in federal investments. Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities and Member of Parliament for Calgary Centre, Kent Hehr, was in Calgary to announce the funding on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence MacAulay, who was in New Orleans. “Our government’s targeted… Read more »
Category: Politics
Gerry Ritz announces he’s moving on from federal politics
Former agriculture minister Gerry Ritz is leaving federal politics. Ritz, 66, plans to announce he will step down as MP for Battlefords-Lloydminster on Thursday morning. First elected to parliament in 1997, Ritz served as minister of agriculture from 2007 to 2015. Following the Liberal victory in the 2015 election he served as critic for the… Read more »
MacAulay remains in place after Liberal cabinet shuffle
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced changes to the Ministry, Monday, with a federal cabinet shuffle that will see the Ministry of Indigenous and Northern Affairs split into two departments, and six MPs receive a new title: Carolyn Bennett will become Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs; Jane Philpott will take the helm as Minister… Read more »
Alanna Koch throws her name in the Saskatchewan Party leadership ring
In a decision that had been rumoured for weeks, Alanna Koch, Deputy Minister to the Premier of Saskatchewan, has officially announced her intention to run for the leadership of the Saskatchewan Party. Koch highlighted how she wants to continue on the track that Brad Wall put the province on, in an interview with Shaun Haney… Read more »
The reason for Brad Wall’s close relationship with farmers
Last week when Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall announced he is retiring from public politics, ag twitter exploded with an outpouring of kind words and mentions of sorrow that the unofficial leader of conservatives across from Western Canada will no longer be there to represent them. So what is it? Why did Premier Brad Wall have… Read more »
Brad Wall announces retirement
After almost 10 years as Premier of Saskatchewan, in a surprise to many, Brad Wall announced his upcoming retirement from politics on Thursday. “I’ve always thought that the 10 year mark – should I be so fortunate to serve that long – might be the right time to reevaluate,” said Wall in a video announcement…. Read more »
Goodbye, Glen Murray — Ontario farmers will never forget you
I thought goodbyes were supposed to be hard, and that they usually bring tears, hugs, and long waves of sorrow. Not always. Glen Murray’s resignation as Ontario’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change has left many farmers across the province smiling, even though the wake of his non-science-based decision-making will be felt long after he… Read more »
President Trump says U.S. gained access into China for beef because he asked for it
Negotiating trade deals to increase market access is typically not easy. Non-tariff barriers, thickening borders, and increased commerce bureaucracy all make access to global markets and free trade very difficult. But what if market access could be made easier by just asking for it. Why didn’t former Presidents, NCBA and a handful of U.S. Trade… Read more »
Should politicians talk agriculture on the urban campaign trail?
City dwellers may not have much connection to the farm these days but there’s growing evidence that they value the agri-food industry’s ability to produce high-quality, safe food and create jobs. That’s the conclusion of an opinion poll commissioned by Grassroots Public Affairs. The survey of 676 residents in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) indicates… Read more »
Dairy farmers made a difference in Scheer’s surprise win over Bernier
Many dairy and poultry farmers across Canada breathed a sigh of relief on Saturday night as Andrew Scheer defeated front-runner Maxime Bernier to become the leader of the Official Opposition and the Conservative Party of Canada. One of Bernier’s main promises during the campaign was to dismantle supply management (SM) — the quota system that ensures a… Read more »
Bill 17 follows up on Bill 6, gives Alberta farm workers the right to unionize — Interview with Oneil Carlier
Last week, the Alberta government introduced Bill 17, the Fair and Family-Friendly Workplaces Act, which updates Alberta’s Labour Code and Employment Standards Code. Since the bill covers all workers in Alberta, it requires some further digging to parse out what applies to agriculture and farms. On Friday, Shaun Haney spoke with Oneil Carlier, Minister of… Read more »
Conservative leadership race enters the home stretch
18 months after former Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced he was stepping down, the race to become the next leader of the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC), and the Official Opposition, is into its final days. Rona Ambrose gave her final major speech as interim leader this week, and CPC members from across the country will… Read more »
AgriTalk Free For All: Wheat trade harmonization, planting delays, labour shortages and dairy friction
On Friday, Shaun Haney was invited to be on the Free For All Panel on Agritalk, along with Chip Flory and Jim Wiesemeyer. Agritalk with Mike Adams has over 95 United States based radio affiliates and can be heard across North America on Rural Radio 147 (couple hours before RealAg Radio). The topics included US… Read more »
Creating a ‘Silicon Valley’ for Food in Ontario
Around the globe, agriculture and food systems produce about 2,850 calories per person per day. That’s enough to feed the world explains University of Guelph professor Evan Fraser, but unfortunately we still have 800 million people who are undernourished. Even more perplexing is the fact that we have 2 billion people who struggle with being… Read more »
Trump vs Canada: Get Your Tickets for this Epic Main Event!
Since the election of Donald Trump, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been under threat. Initially, the harsh words of walls, import tariffs, and immigration reform were directed squarely at Mexico. That all changed this week when president Trump “laid down the law” in an effort to make Canada quiver insecurely in its… Read more »