By Matt Gehl,
The Starphoenix
August 12, 2013
When the legislation wrecking the Canadian Wheat Board was making its way through the House and Senate in 2011 it became clear that neither of the two standing committees on agriculture were going to come to the Prairies. As a result I joined nearly 40 farmers from across the Prairies in going to Ottawa at our own expense to meet with elected and appointed representatives.
As a member of the Canadian Wheat Board Alliance, my job was to call every senator to set up a time when they could meet with concerned farmers. Over three weeks I made hundreds phone calls and was only able to set up a couple of dozen meetings.
Many senators were unavailable while some outright refused to meet with us, including Sen. Pamela Wallin. This is the same Wallin who trumpets her roots in Wadena.
Maybe she has been away from the Prairies for so long that she has forgotten one of the great traits of Saskatchewan is its hospitality. We weren’t asking her to fly to Saskatchewan to meet with us – we went to her. Yet she wouldn’t give us the time of day.
If Wallin showed up unannounced at any farm in Saskatchewan chances are she would be invited in for a cup of coffee. Yet when Saskatchewan farmers were at her office doorstep for three weeks, she would not extend that same courtesy.
Wallin insists she represents Saskatchewan in Ottawa. If she is such a tireless representative of the people of Saskatchewan, why would she not meet with Saskatchewan farmers who had paid for their own flights, hotels and meals to make it as easy as possible to have a meeting with her?
I could forgive Wallin if her troubles were the result of a clerical error, but I can’t forgive her because she is fraudulently claiming her expenses for being nothing more than an appointed cheerleader for the PMO.
It seems that the only people being represented by Sen. Wallin are her benefactors in the Conservative Party of Canada.
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