Millions of taxpayer’s dollars spent with nothing to show for it: Eichler

Agriculture Critic Ralph Eichler today expressed serious disappointment over the NDP government’s mismanagement of the soon-to-be defunct Ranchers Choice Beef Co-op in Dauphin. The NDP withdrew it support in December 2006, signaling the end of any government effort to increase slaughter capacity.

“Rather than take responsibility for its failures,” Eichler said, “the NDP chose instead to wash its hands of the issue and blame the co-op for not attracting more investors.”

Eichler said unfortunately, the NDP set the plant up to fail right from the very beginning. “The cooperative structure of Ranchers Choice was far too restrictive,” he said. “Investors would have to hand financial control over to the NDP. It’s not surprising no one was interested.”

Eichler added that a Progressive Conservative government would have provided a more investor-friendly business structure. “The role of government should be to create opportunity for investment and let the industry develop.”

Eichler said the NDP government wasted three years by doing nothing to increase Manitoba’s slaughter capacity, and ultimately missed the opportunity to improve the situation for cattle ranchers.

“The NDP handed over a $4.5 million subsidy, a $7 million loan and part of a $10.9 million commitment to wastewater treatment upgrades,” Eichler said. “Most of that money is gone, Ranchers Choice is no more and taxpayers are on the hook for another failed NDP project.”