up front By Bryden Winsby
Ag portfolio changes hands — yet again Q
uick now, how many ministers of agriculture has this province had during the past decade? Don’t feel bad if you can’t answer the question — it’s not something that comes easily to mind, or to Google, for that matter. Suffice to say there have been quite a few since the BC Liberals won the 2001 election with the biggest landslide in provincial history (77 of 79 seats). Some would appear to have no trouble learning the turf, such as Abbotsford dairy farmer John van Dongen, with his background in agricultural economics and nearly 20 years’ involvement with farm organizations. Others were fill-ins, such as Ron Cantelon, appointed in early 2009 following the death of Stan Hagen. Neither had an extensive background in agriculture. Hagen had held 10 different portfolios during his tenure in Victoria. A few months after taking over, Cantelon was dropped from cabinet when Premier Gordon Campbell drew up a post-election roster that included a number of rookie politicians.
Two were from the Kelowna area — Steve Thomson and Ben Stewart. The former certainly came with credentials, mostly from the other side of the political fence as a long- time lobbyist for the farming community. His appointment as ag minister made a lot of sense. Stewart, with a background in grape-growing and wine-making, was handed the newly-created Ministry of Citizens' Services and Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism and the Public Affairs Bureau. A grab-bag if ever there was one.
Mercifully, when Campbell rejigged the roster earlier this year, Stewart got to be Minister of Community and Rural Development (another vague title for what used to be known as Municipal Affairs). He was barely into that job when the premier, whose personal popularity and that of his government were continuing to head into the proverbial toilet, rejigged again on Oct. 25, with Stewart getting agriculture and Thomson a new ministry: Natural Resource Operations.
4 British Columbia Berry Grower • Winter 2010-11 Stewart’s
responsbilities are straightforward: Agriculture,
aquaculture and food industry
development; animal health and crop/plant protection; food safety and quality;
commercial fisheries
and fish processing; marine fisheries and seafood industry development; crop insurance; grazing and range stewardship policy.
Lengthy, yes, but nothing compared to Thomson’s list, which is, well, startling.
I’m not about to detail them here, but there are more than two dozen, running the gamut from Crown land allocation, mineral and coal titles, fish hatchery restocking and hunting licenses to drought management, invasive plants, and permits issued under the Archaeology and Heritage Conservation Act.
It’s a really, really big grab-bag, with many of its contents moved over from other ministries, not just agriculture.
At this writing, both ministers are getting a handle on what their new jobs entail. The challenges will be
considerable; their probable performances difficult to predict, given the precarious position of the Campbell government. Almost as difficult as predicting when insects will rule the world (if they don’t already).
So let’s put politics aside and turn to this, the fourth issue of the magazine, wherein we devote considerable attention to bugs, including an update on the battle against one of them that’s got everybody worried (or should by now): Spotted Wing Drosophila. You will also find an overview of the B.C. cranberry industry, which soon will have its very own research farm. Elsewhere, there’s a piece on concern about the negative impact that could lie ahead for Fraser Valley growers as a result of proposed changes to fumigant regulations. And some advice on the use of personal protective equipment and how to determine whether your business approach should be motivated by a carrot or a stick. Enjoy.
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