I've Been Thinking ...... ?

Ever since our esteemed Minister of Agriculture announced to Dairy Farmers of Canada, that the Government would pursue Article 28 for the dairy industry.... I have been concerned. It is just something I would not and cannot believe the Conservative Party would do. I bet they have not spent any time explaining to farmers any real downside or fallout that may accrue to dairy farmers.

So, what might really be going on...? I do still believe that keeping DFC happy until the Government can find a way to force an election is something the government has figured out. I now believe that it is just a little side benefit in this Grand Game the Conservatives are playing. One must remember that they have been and still are demonstrating some very elegant strategy. They have been consistently outmanoeuvring the other parties from day one. So far, they have manged to keep it up. What are they up to?!?!?

Well, I think it goes like this.
..............

Once Upon a Time ....... there was a group of dairy farmers that wanted Article 28 really badly. They worked hard to convince several Ministers of Agriculture to agree to this idea. They thought it would stop the bleeding across the border of MPC and other protein powders that were being used to alter the composition of the cheese being sold to consumers. Now, standards that would benefit everyone (especially the public) would be the BEST way to do this, but many of these dairy farmers didn't really believe this was a solution. That's really too bad, because it WOULD stop the bleeding and keep the product more palatable for the consumer. I digress.

So dairy farmers continued to demand Article 28 from their Ministers. At the same time, the WTO had fallen off the rails. The Minister of Trade and the Minister of Agriculture were quoted in public with diverging views of how the WTO should play out for different farm groups and the Minister of Trade was NOT friendly to dairy.

Other groups (who do really HAVE the EAR of the Ministers) think the dairy farmers must lose so they will gain. No one has been able to convince them differently. And large enemies of farmers (ADM and others) have supported these groups. This time, their views have fallen on fertile ground (remember the comments of the Minister of Trade).

So how do you put a spoke in the dairy farmers' lobby power and yet not seem to do so? How do you get what you really want to do at the WTO and not seem to do it? Hmmmmmm? The same strategists who are hoodwinking Canadians AND other political parties though very hard.

It goes like this. First you have to cut dairy farmers and their friends off from the discussions, so they don't know what is really being discussed! That leads to 'How'? Well, if you gave them the ARTICLE 28 process, that might make other countries ticked off enough that they would freeze you out of the discussions. Gee! I think Mr. Verheul has told farmers before that that might be the case! Wow!

Which is the game you can win the biggest on? Gosh! I think that the big win would be the WTO. If you started Article 28 and then an election is conveniently called , the whole process would be toast! Why, boys...THAT would be great!! It might not take that long at the WTO, if you were willing to give up something big. After you have finished dairy off in the WTO, you can tell those farmers you gave them what they wanted (Article 28) so they can't blame you. Your pals in the other farm groups are really happy. Conservative dairy farmers will not want to believe they were snookered and will still support you. They will blame their leaders. Dairy won't be able to stop the WTO process. Someone else calls an election and blows Article 28 out of the water. You have the good spin to defend yourself and THAT is THAT. Fait à compli!

The end!