Tory Agriculture Minister Ritz Is Wrong To Bully The Canadian Wheat Board
I am challening supporters of Stephen Harper's plan to kill the Canadian Wheat Board to listen to some contrary voices from the business community. Let's start with Bruce Johnstone, the financial editor with the Regina Leader Post. Here is what he thinks of the Conservative's plan to gut the CWB:
"But what Ritz and the Harper government are doing to the Canadian Wheat Board with their bully-boy tactics is neither right nor in the best interests of producers." [...]
"Ritz dismissed the contact -- reportedly 400,000 tonnes -- as a "drop in the bucket'' and claimed that "the board has decided it will not do anything for barley producers." This is clearly not the case." [...]
"But, for Ritz and the federal Conservative government, nothing short of complete capitulation to their strident demands for "barley marketing freedom" will suffice." [...]
"Ritz is welcome to table legislation any time he wants to provide "barley marketing freedom'' to producers. Without a majority in the House of Commons, he knows the bill is doomed to fail. Likewise, the government can wait until Feb. 26. That's when its appeal of last year's federal court ruling that the government needed the approval of Parliament to remove barley marketing from the board will be heard.
But Ritz and company know pretty well what the outcome of the appeal will be. So they resort to bullying the board into giving up its barley marketing powers.
Ritz and the Harper government claim to be fighting for "barley marketing freedom.''
But what they're really doing is trampling on the law and the right of the board to do what it is legally constituted and required to do -- sell wheat and barley on behalf of Western Canadian farmers."
Bruce Johnstone
Regina Leader-Post's financial editor.
Regina Leader Post
"But what Ritz and the Harper government are doing to the Canadian Wheat Board with their bully-boy tactics is neither right nor in the best interests of producers." [...]
"Ritz dismissed the contact -- reportedly 400,000 tonnes -- as a "drop in the bucket'' and claimed that "the board has decided it will not do anything for barley producers." This is clearly not the case." [...]
"But, for Ritz and the federal Conservative government, nothing short of complete capitulation to their strident demands for "barley marketing freedom" will suffice." [...]
"Ritz is welcome to table legislation any time he wants to provide "barley marketing freedom'' to producers. Without a majority in the House of Commons, he knows the bill is doomed to fail. Likewise, the government can wait until Feb. 26. That's when its appeal of last year's federal court ruling that the government needed the approval of Parliament to remove barley marketing from the board will be heard.
But Ritz and company know pretty well what the outcome of the appeal will be. So they resort to bullying the board into giving up its barley marketing powers.
Ritz and the Harper government claim to be fighting for "barley marketing freedom.''
But what they're really doing is trampling on the law and the right of the board to do what it is legally constituted and required to do -- sell wheat and barley on behalf of Western Canadian farmers."
Bruce Johnstone
Regina Leader-Post's financial editor.
Regina Leader Post
Leftdog,
Before PMSH took office, did you ever care two hoots about the CWB? Honestly.
Growing up in a small town - not on a farm, though - I can assure you that farmers have debated, argued, fought and many times brawled (ruining many a social occasion) over the pros and cons of the CWB.
I really think you don't truly known any one side of the debate, let alone both sides, (Albeit, there are many views on the CWB) and that you are just using the recent publicity of this decade old debate as a medium to express your visceral hatred of anyone who dares not to think as you do.
You will probably delete this posting, but not until you have read it first.
Posted by
Trent |
2:56 pm, February 16, 2008
Once again today, I have to deal with the sanctimonious harping of some right wing rural 'thinker' who is soooooo convinced that 'HE' knows better than anyone else.
For your information Trent, I HAVE LIVED ON A MIXED GRAIN - BEEF FARM! I have also lived in a small town and in a city - where do you come off with your pious crap that I somehow must not know anything about the CWB because I happen to disagree with your view.
Stop thinking you are so correct on the topic! You have your view - I have mine. You think I'm wrong - I think you're wrong.
Leave the arrogance somewhere else!
Posted by
leftdog |
3:55 pm, February 16, 2008
I grain farm, I think it is time that the left let the grain farmers have their wish... the CWB is a drain on western Canada. all it does is prop up some jobs in Liberal Winnipeg.. and the NDP want it because with the CWB it is a socialist controlled industry.
leftdog you know nothing about the Grain Industry. It doesn't work, even Rod Flaman(elected CWB director) admits that: with his admission that Durum in Canada will sell for at least $5.00 a bushels less than what Americans can sell it for.
What are Socialist afraid the grain farmers are going to do? make some money, pay more tax, take over the cities. Not one pro CWB supporter has been able to defend their stance without quoting the CWB's propaganda.. can't they think for themselves? they quote Richard Gray who works for the CWB when he does the papers defending the CWB. Richard Gray who failed at farming, and had to go back to teaching at the U of S. Richard Gray who comes from a very strong NDP family.
for the Liberals and NDP it is pure politics they don't care about the economics of grain farming
Posted by
plainjoe |
10:24 pm, February 16, 2008
Your 'talking' points are right out of the federal Tory Caucus Office. You actually have an Edmonton IP - and you grain farm? Oh well maybe you do.. your talking point re: 'Rod Flaman" is laughable because he is the only anti-CWB elected regional director (from Reform country in Alberta isn't he). There is also a Tory approved talking point wherein anti CWB trolls attempt to corner their opponents as 'knowing nothing about farming'.
If a fair election were held of prairie farmers (not the kind of rigged election Harper ran last year) ... the VAST majority of prairie farmers would vote to keep the board.
Nice try - no thanks .... You didn't even read the quotes in my post from Johnson (business editor) who is NO New Democrat - he is as
'free enterprise' as they come and he considers what Harper/Ritz and you are doing to be fairly dishonest.
Posted by
leftdog |
10:44 pm, February 16, 2008