Since the individual Minister at the heart of this story is back in his job after an absence of a dozen-or-so years, I feel it appropriate to re-post my blog story from 2014. After all it's now been well over a decade, not just a couple of years, since he made me the promise he never kept.
by Larry Powell
Manitoba's Minister of Agriculture, Ron Kostyshyn, (below), lies.
Way back in September of 2012 (now more than 1 1 years ago), Kostyshyn promised he would read a peer-reviewed article I had co-authored. Entitled "Field of Nightmares," it appeared in the well-respected Canadian journal "Alternatives - Canada's Environmental Voice." It documented much of the research which has been done, linking the popular herbicide "Roundup" to adverse effects on the health of livestock, wildlife, crops and even humans. It also placed the official position of the Government of Canada on the record, which was, it was "aware of the research, but, it did not raise immediate risk concerns that would have triggered regulatory action.”
So my story concluded that "Ottawa was letting corporate seduction trump the scientific evidence"
Since Roundup is used in oceanic amounts on crops everywhere, including Manitoba, I was naturally curious. Was Mr. Kostyshyn aware of the evidence? If not, why not?
If so, is his inaction due to the fact he simply does not believe the science? If he does why isn't he doing something? It's not as if he were powerless. The Government of Manitoba regulates the sale, use, transportation, storage and disposal of pesticides.
So I emailed him a link to my story, asking him why nothing is being done.
No answer.
When I had a chance to interview him later, in person, he said he had been busy and had not seen my email. So I made him promise (on tape) to read my article and get back to me. He said he would!
Following more weeks of silence, I tried to reach him by 'phone, but was kept from talking to him by a staffer in his office, who gave me a lecture for not following proper protocol for interviewing a Minister.
As a result, after all this time, I still haven't heard from him and feel fully justified in now declaring that he lies.
For the record, I don't give a damn that it was my byline on the story in question. That's not the point. The story was important because, of the thousands that had been written about Roundup, it was the only one I've seen that summed up in one place the points I've outlined above.
By refusing to answer my questions, Mr. Kostyshyn clearly feels no obligation to be either accountable or transparent to the people of this province. Meanwhile, both Manitoba and Ottawa continue to embrace prodigious Roundup application without bothering to explain why.
What are we to conclude when a Minister of the Crown so flatly refuses to engage in the least bit of intellectual discussion that might shed some light on where he is coming from?
Might we conclude that there is collusion of some sort between our elected officials and the huge, rich, ruthless, powerful and unelected Agribusiness corporations who manufacture these products?
I am not saying there is. What I am saying is, Mr. Minister, if it isn't collusion, then what the Hell would you call it?
3 comments:
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE EDITOR; my contradiction to Manitoba's Agriculture and Water Stewardship ministers.
Will Manitoba suffer the like consequences as North Carolina, where rural communities
are literally under attack and defenceless against a hog Industry,that threatens their
health, their well being and quality of living? Surely,this is a crime against humanity.
I often wonder if people realize just how saturated our province is with
hog factories? Manitoba is a province with a large area and over 100 thousand lakes.
However, considering the "majority of people" live, work at industry and farming for nearly 300 miles along the US border and north for generally about 200 miles, the populace is more or less concentrated in about 15% of the province area, for obvious reasons.
Re: Letter dated 16 March, 2016 from Ministers
Ron Kostyshyn and Tom Nevakshonoff,responding on behalf
of Manitoba's, Premier Selinger.
While I thank you for your response, offered on behalf of the
Premier,it gives me no encouragement whatsoever, as to what
is taking place in Manitoba at this time, with the hog industry
nor the pilot project underway to increase slaughter hog production
in western Manitoba.
There is mention made of Manitoba's stringent regulations, yet we
know from the past and the Auditor Generals conclusion that enforcement
was lacking,…. in other words,regulations do not meet the intent if
enforcement is being ignored. Interlake MLA, Tom Nevakshonoff agreed
with the report and openly stated to the public, "the government of Manitoba
doesn't do enforcement, that's up to the bureaucrats to do".
Such a statement makes me and others wonder….Who is in charge here?
Habitant buffer strips were also mentioned as a means of environment protection.
The most recent conclusion by Prof. David Lobb, senior researcher,however
tells us those strips may not be the answer to preventing nutrient run off.
We know the earth cells planned for the pilot project leak; that is an established fact.
So the question is, why is the government prepared to compromise our ground and surface waters with the threat of manure pollution.
As ministers,you are once again being reminded of what former Conservation Minister & Water Stewardship Minister,Gord Mackintosh publicly stated.
"We are not prepared to weaken the Save Lake Winnipeg Act and allow unrestricted province wide production in Manitoba at the expense of the environment. Any pilot project proposal coming forward from the hog industry to the province must demonstrate zero negative impact on water quality and include effective odour control"
That is a very powerful expression that supports the environment, water quality and odour control. We all should know and realize that you can't put a price on clean safe water. Unfortunately, your letter circumvents those requirements with rhetoric.
We know there are better ways to raise hogs, and Ron Kostyshyn
as Agriculture Minister, assured us that "morally the province doesn't agree with sow stalls." unquote. What we need in Manitoba is for government to take the next step, past morally, and get on with the job of eliminating those stalls.
The water resources are being poisoned in North Carolina and the effects on rural communities is devastating their lives. Will more of the rural communities in western Manitoba be the next victims to this Industry, as they already are in other areas of the province?
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE EDITOR; my contradiction to Manitoba's Agriculture and Water Stewardship ministers.
Will Manitoba suffer the like consequences as North Carolina, where rural communities
are literally under attack and defenceless against a hog Industry,that threatens their
health, their well being and quality of living? Surely,this is a crime against humanity.
I often wonder if people realize just how saturated our province is with
hog factories? Manitoba is a province with a large area and over 100 thousand lakes.
However, considering the "majority of people" live, work at industry and farming for nearly 300 miles along the US border and north for generally about 200 miles, the populace is more or less concentrated in about 15% of the province area, for obvious reasons.
Re: Letter dated 16 March, 2016 from Ministers
Ron Kostyshyn and Tom Nevakshonoff,responding on behalf
of Manitoba's, Premier Selinger.
While I thank you for your response, offered on behalf of the
Premier,it gives me no encouragement whatsoever, as to what
is taking place in Manitoba at this time, with the hog industry
nor the pilot project underway to increase slaughter hog production
in western Manitoba.
There is mention made of Manitoba's stringent regulations, yet we
know from the past and the Auditor Generals conclusion that enforcement
was lacking,…. in other words,regulations do not meet the intent if
enforcement is being ignored. Interlake MLA, Tom Nevakshonoff agreed
with the report and openly stated to the public, "the government of Manitoba
doesn't do enforcement, that's up to the bureaucrats to do".
Such a statement makes me and others wonder….Who is in charge here?
Habitant buffer strips were also mentioned as a means of environment protection.
The most recent conclusion by Prof. David Lobb, senior researcher,however
tells us those strips may not be the answer to preventing nutrient run off.
We know the earth cells planned for the pilot project leak; that is an established fact.
So the question is, why is the government prepared to compromise our ground and surface waters with the threat of manure pollution.
As ministers,you are once again being reminded of what former Conservation Minister & Water Stewardship Minister,Gord Mackintosh publicly stated.
"We are not prepared to weaken the Save Lake Winnipeg Act and allow unrestricted province wide production in Manitoba at the expense of the environment. Any pilot project proposal coming forward from the hog industry to the province must demonstrate zero negative impact on water quality and include effective odour control"
That is a very powerful expression that supports the environment, water quality and odour control. We all should know and realize that you can't put a price on clean safe water. Unfortunately, your letter circumvents those requirements with rhetoric.
We know there are better ways to raise hogs, and Ron Kostyshyn
as Agriculture Minister, assured us that "morally the province doesn't agree with sow stalls." unquote. What we need in Manitoba is for government to take the next step, past morally, and get on with the job of eliminating those stalls.
The water resources are being poisoned in North Carolina and the effects on rural communities is devastating their lives. Will more of the rural communities in western Manitoba be the next victims to this Industry, as they already are in other areas of the province?
To the tune "On Top of Ole Smokey"
They'll Hug you & Kiss You & Tell You More Lies/ than the Cross- ties on a Railway or Stars
in the Skies.
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