 Manitoba and Ottawa in war of words over Wheat Board The Selinger government is taking to the airwaves to fight for the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopolyCommentsview comments in forum You need to be a member of CKA and be logged into the site, to comment on news. |
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Good luck putting a gag order on the NDP...
On behalf of Jack Layton, thank you for writing.
New Democrats have been consistent in our support for the Canadian Wheat Board as the single desk marketer for Canadian wheat and barley. We believe that this Conservative government is shameful in its determination to dismantle this great prairie institution that farmers have built through generations of hard work. The Wheat Board exists to get a better deal for farmers. This works extremely well and, according to audited studies, Wheat Board prices are much better over the long haul with direct economic benefits to farmers.
You will be pleased to learn that Canadian farmers have a strong advocate in NDP MP Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre) who is our critic responsible for the Canada Wheat Board. In fact, as recently as this week, Pat Martin rose in the House during Question Period and called on the Conservatives to let farmers vote on the CWB. Please find a copy of his intervention below.
Again, thank you for writing. Moving forward, please be assured that you can count on the NDP to speak out on this important issue.
Best regards,
Office of Hon. Jack Layton, P.C.
Leader of the Official Opposition
Hansard - June 7, 2011
Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre, NDP): Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Wheat Board is the largest and most successful grain marketing company in the world. It is a great Canadian institution wholly owned and operated by Canadian farmers. Now the Conservative government wants to legislate it out of existence without even allowing the farmer producers to vote on it. If there is such great merit in the government's position on the Wheat Board, why does it not follow the legislation and allow Prairie producers to have a democratic vote on it? The Conservatives' majority does not mean they can run roughshod over democracy.
David Anderson (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and for the Canadian Wheat Board): Mr. Speaker, certainly there was no vote for farmers who were forced into this monopoly in the first place. The real vote took place on May 2 when farmers across western Canada expressed their opinion about the Canadian Wheat Board and its monopoly in electing members on this side of the House to support them virtually right across the Prairies. Those farmers wanted the same freedom that other producers across this country have had for many years. There appears to be a small group who do not want the Wheat Board to succeed after change. I hope the member opposite is not one of those people and that he will work with us to create a new environment for farmers.
Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre, NDP): Mr. Speaker, there is no business case for abolishing the Canadian Wheat Board. It is an ideological crusade that defies reason, logic and even economics. Before the Conservatives use the heavy hand of the state to deny farmers their democratic right to vote, will they at least table any cost benefit analysis, any research they might have, any impact study on the Port of Churchill and the Hudson Bay line in northern Manitoba, the rural economic base for rural communities? Surely the Conservatives would have done this research before they would undermine the Prairie economy by destroying this great Canadian institution. Will they table it here today?
Hey maybe we'll actually get to hear the other side of the story.
Good luck putting a gag order on the NDP...
Um, what is the other side of the story? Whose story are we trying to get the other side of?
The CWB exists for a reason and other than right wing ideology there seems little benefit to Farmers by nixing it.
Hey maybe we'll actually get to hear the other side of the story.
Good luck putting a gag order on the NDP...
Um, what is the other side of the story? Whose story are we trying to get the other side of?
Harper put a gag order on the wheat board. They weren't allowed to defend the single desk system during the last board elections. So all the public really heard was Harper's side of the debate.
He still lost the election. Big time. Farmers almost exclusivly elected board members that were pro single desk.
Okay you're losing me: So there are farmers out there that don't want to use the CWB, but they are forced to due to legislation. So now the federal government wants to change it so that it's optional whether a farmer wants to use the CWB or not. The feds don't want to scrap the CWB, they just want to make it optional. Am I missing something?
Ya, allowing the exception is a way to scrap the Board.
Okay you're losing me: So there are farmers out there that don't want to use the CWB, but they are forced to due to legislation. So now the federal government wants to change it so that it's optional whether a farmer wants to use the CWB or not. The feds don't want to scrap the CWB, they just want to make it optional. Am I missing something?
Ya, allowing the exception is a way to scrap the Board.
So you're saying that given the choice so many farmers would opt not to use the CWB that the CWB would not be viable?
The feds don't want to scrap the CWB, they just want to make it optional. Am I missing something?
There is either single desk or there is open market, there is no third option I'm aware of.
They want to throw out the single desk. You could call that scraping the wheat board if you want. It is certainly scrapping the single desk system.
The feds don't want to scrap the CWB, they just want to make it optional. Am I missing something?
There is either single desk or there is open market, there is no third option I'm aware of.
They want to throw out the single desk. You could call that scraping the wheat board if you want. It is certainly scrapping the single desk system.
If a farmer can get a better price outside the CWB, shouldn't he be
allowed to ?
OK, without the partisanship, what are the advantages/disadvantages of both systems ?