Barn buddies
MP Lawrence MacAulay’s close tie with his German counterpart bodes well for P.E.I.
Lawrence MacAulay’s barn was open for big business Monday.
MacAulay, Canada’s minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, brought his German counterpart, Christian Schmidt, to his farm in Midgell, P.E.I., for both cordial banter and serious discussion.
MacAulay says he travels a good deal from one city to another as a federal minister, finding his way into boardroom upon boardroom.
To meet with Schmidt, Germany’s federal minister of food and agriculture, MacAulay’s farm seemed a natural meeting place.
“I think he feels like I that agriculture ministers should meet in the barn,’’ says MacAulay.
“That only makes sense – and he’s a sensible man.’’ MacAulay also gave Schmidt and his entourage a little tour of Greenwich National Park.
“I think they were pretty impressed with going to a national park and going over the walk on Bowley Pond,’’ he says.
The long-time Cardigan MP has developed a strong rapport with Schmidt, who he has met at G7 and G20 summits.
That solid relationship, MacAulay believes, can pay dividends.
“We just happen to like each other and if you like a person, it works much better,’’ he says. “I don’t know if he had 48 hours from the time he left Berlin to the time he went back and he spent half of it in Prince Edward Island in Midgell.’’ MacAulay and Schmidt joined together Monday to announce that Canada and Germany will work closer together in four areas of agriculture research: sustainable agriculture and climate change; agri-food; sharing best management practices and personnel exchange. Germany continues to be a significant trading partner for Canada and is growing in importance both as an export destination and as a source of imports.
MacAulay says Prince Edward Island is well placed to benefit from the strong relationship between Canada and Germany, not to mention the good friendship that exists between MacAulay and Schmidt. “What an advantage (it) would be if say (Germany) want to buy more blueberries, if they want to buy more lobsters, if they want to buy more potatoes,’’ he says.
“Without any question, Christian Schmidt, if he’s talking about a product and he knows it’s Prince Edward Island or Canada or some other country, I think we may have the edge at the moment.’’
“We have a good rapport,’’ he adds. “You don’t misuse it, but we’re just good friends.’’