The real news of rural life

I'm not one to go around advocating government handouts or things inclined to encourage dependence. The short-term assistance currently requested by the province's pork producers is neither of the above.

They need bridge assistance to get to the point in the next year-and-a-half or so with their strategic plan, which would make them viable.

Have the hog farmers come to the trough once to often, perhaps? Some urban types may agree.

The short answer is “no.�

The sector pays $8 million in provincial taxes alone; $9 million federally. It employs or facilitates the employment of 1,500 people, mostly in the rural parts of the province. It's an integral part of our agriculture industry, and its untimely passing would impact all farmers in one way or another.

During the rallies last week, we noticed the opposition NDP and the third party Liberals almost hid from the matter. Sure, agriculture critic Hants East MLA John MacDonell called for more than the government's ad hoc $9.7 million band-aid. But, there was no big political pile up for farmers. The Liberals’ Kings West MLA Leo Glavine and Annapolis MLA Stephen MacNeil did what they were expected to do as Valley MLAs - call for something.

But, what was the province's political leadership doing? Almost intentionally focusing on the Ernest Fage case, all while a major commodity in a major industry is getting ready to pull the plug?

Is there an unspoken conspiracy among the parties to use a fender bender and an already washed-up cabinet minister as an excuse to blatantly ignore what is developing into a crisis?

Many media were no better. Reporters spent more time digging up ministers’ auto leasing costs.

We know the world's farmers grow twice as much food as is necessary for human consumption. Distribution is what carries the day: food’s got to get to those hungry mouths, and it has to bring a fair return to the producers.

Just think back to 9/11, when the United States border closed. The Americans are difficult, but they are the best neighbours we can have. Still, they react the way they see is best for them - not for anybody else.

Where does that leave us?

Very vulnerable.

Urban and urbane folks in this country have been on and on about our sovereignty and independence; well, this country boy - who likes to eat - can tell you independence is being able to feed yourself. The supply has to be safe and secure. The rest of society merely supports this.

After all, we no longer have a prime minister who thinks rural Canada is merely a nice place to go hiking, canoeing and to get cheap oil. The attitude, though, remains.

Extending this - as I like to as a former resident of the birthplace of steelmaking in Canada - to steel and heavy industry, we had better be careful in more than just agriculture. The pasting the trades and manufacturing positions have taken in the past half-century has left us in a downright dangerous position, economically and socially.

We're hard pressed to get tradespeople for just about anything. It's not just the lure of Alberta oil fields; the numbers haven't been there for some time.

Until recently, everybody was channeled into “academic� pursuits. If you went into a trade instead, you were made to feel lacking in some way - despite the fact you would probably out-earn a university graduate.

It's time we got reconnected with agriculture, heavy industry, the trades - well, with reality.