Can You Believe This!?

[15444]

http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040210/RTRAD10/TPBusiness/Canadian

Our government steps up to play hardball with the Americans over cheese sticks and pizza but not cattle!

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY!

[Smithy]

And apparently this is to be the next "trade issue"....
Canada announced in early January that it's probing U.S. imports of self-rising pizza after reviewing allegations by McCain Foods Ltd. that manufacturers south of the border are dumping product at cheap prices in Canada.
I wonder if there is any way we can get McCain's on our side?

[carebear300]

I wonder why they didn't investigate dumping of corn last winter into the prairies. There is no way that if the production of corn wasn't subsidized that they would be able to freight it into the prairies cheaper than barley.

[cakadu]

Remember why they are fighting over cheese sticks and the cheese that goes on pizza. They are stepping up to the plate to protect those products under supply management.

The Restaurant and Food Association has been fighting for years to get cheese for pizzas etc. lowered and the dairy industry won't play ball. In order to get around it, the Restaurant people bring in the frozen pizzas with everything on it already.

Butter oil - which is something that most ice cream is made with - didn't get put in under the tariff system and believe me, they lobby long and hard to get tariffs placed on it.

It would seem that the government should lobby equally on behalf of all producers.

[ivbinconned]

"Remember why they are fighting over cheese sticks and the cheese that goes on pizza. They are stepping up to the plate to protect those products under supply management"

cakado; Is it not true that the biggest dairy supply managment area in Canada...is in Ontario and Quebec?

[cakadu]

You're right - something like 48% of the supply managed industry can be found in Quebec.

[cowman]

Hmmm...I see Quebec was one of the provinces where agriculture actually made some money! Maybe those Frenchmen had the right idea about supply management? Maybe they have done the right thing by supporting Liberals?

[ivbinconned]

I don't think it is so much that they support the liberals as it is, that they CONTROL the winners.

The French ag comunity has always had more glue and has been more organized and "in your face" compared to we,the more lethargic western ag comunity.

[cakadu]

Bob Speller was at the Canadian Dairy Commission meeting saying that he and the government were 100% behind supply management and would fight for them at the WTO talks. (It's down from the 1000% that the former ag minister talked about, but still...)

For more on the story, see this week's Western Producer.

Wouldn't it be nice to see the same effort devoted to the rest of agriculture - and not just in times of crisis?

[cowman]

Why wouldn't the Liberals support supply management 100%? Those dairy and poultry guys vote for them! Out here in the west we don't vote for them so why should they care? When we voted for Mulrooney he basically stood up for us? I mean who did free trade really benifit? I would suggest the west?
Maybe the time has come to get on the bandwagon and vote for someone who might actually do us some good...the Liberals! The Conservative party seems to be a joke in process and the NDP seems unlikely? Maybe we need to forget all our lofty ideals and learn a lesson from Quebec? Vote for the money?

[magpie]

Had a conversation with a long time MP shortly after may 20 when meetings were being held on how, government was going to respond to BSE. Basically he said in order to receive any response from this government, is to embarrass them into action. There might be some truth in this, after all these politicians talk of empty promises when they are campaigning, but once they are elected its how not to do something stupid until election time again. Look at the scandal going on in Ottawa today, rather embarrassing for the government today. Do you think maybe Quebec’s producers are better at this game than western producers? IS this what it really has to come to in order for government to respond?

[ivbinconned]

Sounds logical cowman but I beg to differ. To bad our memory fades.
Even in the Mulroony years Quebec and Ontario still ruled and Mulroony would have had a majority with out one western seat.
Don't forget it was during the MUlroony years (1987)that yet another party of western discontent started...Reform. Which I opposed, because to me it made no sense to go down the same road as the CCF, Socreds, and Progressives. They had already proved that the bridge was washed out.
Why just keep on repeating history? Go ahead and vote Liberal...in the west you will still be irrelevant.
Because in Canada the only question asked by a federal government is...what does Quebec want, and what does Ontario want.

[cowman]

Actually ivebinconned you are preaching to the converted but I'm just trying to keep the conversation going! Mulrooney was a typical Quebec politician taking care of business, for sure. But he did give us the free trade deal and it was a good deal for the west, or so I believe?
I wonder who you will vote for in the upcoming federal election? Personally I am going to vote for the NDP! Now if I actually thought they stood a snow balls chance in hell of getting elected I wouldn't...but it seems like a nice safe protest vote? For all my ranting about voting for the Liberals I doubt if I could! I believe my hand might wither or something if I did! Although in my riding the Liberals would definitely be a protest vote too! Unfortunately we will elect the same old dullard we've had for the last twelve years...money completely wasted, but what can you do?

[cakadu]

We might not have too much to worry about if the Liberals continue to free fall in the polls the way they have been. Between this whole promotional scandal, the escalating governor general's costs (approximately $20 million per year now - almost double what they were before Ms. Clarkson took office) and lord knows what else is going to fall out of the tree, the Liberals are sinking like a stone. Even the NDP have risen in the polls.

I'm a little worried about the increasing move towards the re-vamped Reform party, but time will tell for them as well.

If I were involved in any way shape or form with Public Works in the last few years, I would be very afraid! We all know what rolls down hill and there will be someone taking a huge hit.

[cowman]

Martin is definitely walking a tightrope and it will be interesting to see if he can pull it off. I suspect he could just about do anything short of **** and murder and they'd still vote for him in Quebec and Ontario?
Old Alfonso looks like he might have to take the fall, but we musn't forget, before politics he was a Mafia accountant so he might know a little bit about covering his butt and double dealing? Would he be willing to fall on his sword for the good of the party? After all he is a Chretien man!
When all the smoke clears and we finally have an election, I fully expect when we turn our TVs on we will hear Peter Mansbridge say "Welcome viewers in Alberta on election night...We have a majority Liberal government!"