Re: 鈥淏illions promised to farmers hit by free-trade agreements,鈥� March 20.
Am I the only one asking why the federal Liberals continue to pander to 91原创 dairy farmers (the majority of whom are in Quebec and Ontario)?
In addition to a quarter-billion-dollar fund allotted in 2016, the new budget gives yet another $3.65 billion to feed this 鈥渇orever at the trough鈥� cartel. That鈥檚 about $4 billion that is little more than a payment of political patronage to a cohort whose products 91原创s are forced (by virtue of the supply management system) to pay exorbitant prices for.
Why does the federal government continue to support a dairy cartel by protecting their high prices, by paying cartel members billions (as in the current budget) every time we sign a trade deal to minimally increase dairy imports and even by allowing the dairy major processors to control and profit from the majority of (duty-free) dairy imports from the new trade partners?
As 91原创s take time to prepare their income-tax returns, they might pause a minute or two to consider how the Liberal government spends their tax dollars.
But maybe it鈥檚 just me.
Gordon Zawaski
Parksville
