The Battlefords had a small part to play in the Conservative leadership debate Wednesday night.
One of the questions posed to the candidates was sent in by Robin Speer of North Battleford, and it concerned the grain-transportation issues seen a couple of years ago.
The question noted the Liberals had recently announced changes and candidates were asked what they would do to ensure greater market access for agriculture producers on the prairies.
"The Liberals are trying to claim credit for something the Conservatives started," said Erin O'Toole, former Veterans Affairs minister.
"It was actually Gerry Ritz and our Fair Rail for Farmers Act, and Randy Hoback our trade chair, who were fighting to get that product to market, including making it move through the port of Vancouver faster."
O'Toole also pointed to the Conservative track record such as marketing freedom, and fighting the U.S. on COOL labelling. "Agriculture is critical to our economy."
Andrew Saxton, from B.C., noted he sees "a lot of Saskatchewan product on my front door every day, and that's where it comes from." He also pledged to "invest heavily in infrastructure" to make sure Saskatchewan's and all other provinces' product makes it to other ports as quickly as possible.
Michael Chong, MP for Wellington-Halton Hills, noted the shortage of rail cars and said the problem was "the government controls that market. They set the rates, they control the number of cars, so the free market isn't working."
He proposed moving to a more free market system, so that the market ensures there are enough rail cars to market the grain, and do so in a way that doesn't harm farmers in the short term.
"I too would like to thank Gerry Ritz for his leadership by ensuring farmers had access to rail services a few years ago," was Andrew Scheer's response. "We managed to force railways to move a certain amount of western Canadian grain. I am very proud to have Gerry supporting me in my leadership campaign."
Lisa Raitt, who was minister of transport when the grain-handling crisis took place, credited the work of Ritz, Hoback and David Anderson on marketing freedom and said the Liberals needed to get on with solving the transportation issues.
"The solutions are there, they're sitting on a shelf in Marc Garneau's office," said Raitt. "They needed to be dusted off and implemented."
Other candidates focused less on the transportation issue, focusing more on trade and marketing issues.
"We listened to farmers from the prairie," said Steven Blaney, in pointing to the move to get rid of the Wheat Board. He credited the efforts of David Anderson "and also Gerry Ritz, who did not so bad on it."
Blaney also supported free trade but urged Tories "we cannot be dogmatic" as he took his opportunity to once again express his support for his defining issue in the campaign —support for the system of supply management for dairy products.
Supply management has proven to be an issue in the leadership race with rival candidate Maxine Bernier calling for the system to be abolished.
Simcoe-Grey MP Kellie Leitch also took a swipe at Bernier in expressing support for supply management, saying party members had voted in favour of the policy.
"Unlike other candidates in this race, I respect the party membership and the decisions party membership has made," said Leitch.
