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Interestingly, with a political career that
now spans 28 years, MacAulay said his
recent ministerial appointment might be
the highlight. “I loved farming and living
in a rural community; the people are
wonderful. Coming from that background
and having the prime minister make you
his agriculture minister is pretty hard to
top,” he said.
TAKING ISSUES
While he’s only in the early stages of
his appointment as minister, MacAulay
already has a number of issues to address,
not the least of which is the Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP). The Canadian cereals
industry is squarely involved in the deal,
which could mean millions of dollars in
extra revenue from exports. But there are
strong opinions being voiced on both sides
of the TPP debate, and MacAulay wants to
hear them all.
“I encourage anyone who is against
the TPP to contact me and share your
concerns. Of course, as a politician you
normally just hear the bad things, so I
welcome the views of people who favour
the deal as well,” he said.
Many in agriculture complain about the
so-called “Rodney Dangerfield complex”—
the lack of respect for the significant role
the industry plays in Canada’s economy.
Having experienced agriculture from
down in the field and up on Parliament
Hill, MacAulay said it’s a challenge he
embraces.
“We need to make sure that the men
and women who do the work in agricul-
ture are properly paid for it,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of in-
vesting in science. As an example, he point-
ed to a new program that provides $21.4
million of producer check-o dollars from
the Western Grains Research Foundation
for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s
(AAFC) wheat and barley breeding pro-
grams over the next five years. The dollar
figure represents the single largest industry
investment in AAFC research to date.
It’s a start, but MacAulay wants to focus
on trade deals, innovation and staying on
the cutting edge at all times.
“Demand for our products is grow-
ing and we need to keep on top of that.
Populations like the middle class in Asia
are rapidly expanding, as are their food
requirements,” he said. “As agriculture
minister, my job is to make sure we pro-
duce the best food in the world and sell it
at a proper price.”
And whether he’s dealing with that de-
mand or those of his longtime wife Franc-
es and their three daughters, MacAulay
said there’s one thing that will not change:
“If I can’t do it right, or do it for the right
reasons, I won’t do it at all.”
