Move federal workers to rural areas...

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Move federal workers to rural areas, Senate report says
Government also urged to create department of rural affairs
David Akin, Canwest News Service
Published: Tuesday, June 17, 2008

OTTAWA - One in 10 federal government employees should be moved out of the country's largest cities and into rural areas, says a Senate committee studying rural poverty.

In a sweeping report with several dozen recommendations aimed to revitalizing rural Canada, senators also said a new department of rural affairs ought be created; that financial support for a host of rural programs should be increased; and that hedge funds and commodity traders be investigated to see what, if any, their role is in driving up fuel and energy prices.

"It is time to address rural-urban disparities," said Senator Joyce Fairbairn, the chair of the standing Senate committee on agriculture and forestry. Her committee spent two years looking at the issue of rural poverty and the price of farm inputs. The committee's final report was released Tuesday.

In their report, the senators note that, for the first time in Canada's history, fewer than 20 per cent of the country's population live in rural areas. The senators argue that rural Canada is becoming poorer and receiving a disproportionately small amount of federal government resources and attention.

"We've had so much political support for urban centres and very little political support for rural areas," said Senator Len Gustafson (Conservative-Saskatchewan). "Rural Canada has been forgotten. There's no question in my mind."

During its investigation, the committee heard from several witnesses who said swiftly rising fuel and fertilizer costs had combined with the effects of the high loonie, which makes Canadian exports less valuable, to create the perfect storm for many Canadian agricultural producers.

The senators say part of the plan to revitalize rural Canada should include re-locating one of every 10 federal government employees in smaller centres.

"Why would we have our civil servants housed in the most expensive cities in the country," said Senator Hugh Segal (Conservative-Ontario). Segal said that idea is one he believes would be taken up by a Conservative government. "We actually believe in decentralization."


© Canwest News Service 2008

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