Stephane Dion has announced that if elected, he will “reinstate” the Canadian Wheat Board should the Conservatives dismantle its monopoly as promised. Farmers in Quebec and Ontario would, of course, continue to enjoy the same freedoms to market their grain that they always have.
Related – Alberta farmers jailed over wheat exports
I’m learning to love this guy already.
Reader “Barc” asks a great question in the comments –
Restore the CWB if it is dismantled? Despite my support for the CWB that is the stupidist policy decision I can think of.
The CWB is considered gov interference (or gov crown/monopoly) under NAFTA.
Under NAFTA you cannot create such a organization without paying penalties to every business or other organization wishing to claim compensation for damage to their business market.
Is Dion proposing to withdraw from NAFTA and destroy the Canadian economy? Or is he proposing that we pay billions in penalties to North American companies for the reinstation of the CWB.
Another reader (Dwight) shares this response to a very good question;
“In response to your question regarding the legal action, all CWB costs are paid from the pool accounts. Any expenditures incurred for legal proceedings will be derived from this source”.
If you have any further inquiries, please e-mail us or call us toll free at 1-800-275-4292.
Charlotte
Business Centre Representative
Farmer Relations and Public Affairs
His sister Celine looks better in a skirt, but overall Stephane is the WMD – Weapon of Mass Dominion — that we’ve all been waiting for.
Vive Le France!
Dion’s argument proves the CWB is a political tool.
What they’re really afraid of is an opening of the books.
Restore the CWB if it is dismantled? Despite my support for the CWB that is the stupidist policy decision I can think of.
The CWB is considered gov interference (or gov crown/monopoly) under NAFTA.
Under NAFTA you cannot create such a organization without paying penalties to every business or other organization wishing to claim compensation for damage to their business market.
Is Dion proposing to withdraw from NAFTA and destroy the Canadian economy? Or is he proposing that we pay billions in penalties to North American companies for the reinstation of the CWB.
There is no middle ground on the issue. Their is a CWB or there is an open market. If the CWB is dismantled… it is not coming back. Wishful policy aside.
Citizen Dion: If the Wheat Board is so wonderful, why aren’t corn, canola, oats, potato, etc. etc. farmers asking to sign up?
Why limit it to wheat and barley?
Or conversely, why not propose legislation to extend the CWB’s powers to these other crops? And as part of that legislation, why not jail all farmers who refuse to participate?
Some people should watch the movie the River on how the grain companies are excited about these WCB changes.
hey you know what, I think everyone is onboard with giving people choice. by removing the board you are removing a choice. let the board exist. let people decide if you want to be a member or not. but if you want out, don’t expect to be allowed back in when you can’t get board prices for your wheat and barley mid way thru the crop year. should be a min year membership, ideally a 3-5 year membership.
… or a better question, why not make the CWB mandatory for ALL Canadian wheat farmers?
I think that the powers of the CWB should be extended to jets, trains, shipping, maple syrup and so on. All of these goods would have to be sold to the CWB (headquartered in the West) who would then market these items and sell them as they saw fit. I am sure that Bombardier, CSL and all those maple syrup producers would support this right?
Get the broom out, Harper, and fast…There are too many Liberal cronies working against your government in order to save their long held, useless jobs. The last thing we need in this country right now is another PM from Quebec–or from anywhere in the east–except the Newfies, of course..:)
We are seeing very quickly that Mr. Dion is a Liberal’s liberal. His priorities are the same as the recent Liberal governments – punish those who produce.
If he is the “reinstate” these controls, does he plan to jail Québec farmers as well for the crime of selling thier crops without the government as a middleman?
Denis – THAT’S the right question! Why is the CWB dealing only with the West – and Ontario and Quebec farmers are free to sell their wheat?
Is it that Dion’s focus is, as usual, the Liberal focus on Ontario and Quebec (the House seats are there, after all)…He doesn’t want the CWB abolished and His Voting Base in Ontario and Quebec, exposed to competition!
The Liberals, as usual, totally ignore the West. Their only consideration is Winning. Dion is a clone of Chretien – who was very clear about this Liberal Agenda. There is only one Liberal Agenda: Winning. And, despite the population change which gives the West a larger population than Quebec, they still don’t have ‘equalization’ of seats. Quebec has 11 more than BC/Alberta – despite the latter having a larger population.
Dion is campaigning; he wants the votes in Quebec and Ontario. He knows he won’t get them in the West – so, he drops their economic viability in the garbage. He’s not interested in anyone unless they provide him with votes.
Heh… the Liebrano$$$ continue to shoot themselves in the foot. Continue to prove they’re discriminatory towards the Western half of Canada. Excellent! Another big plastic bat with which to whack ’em in the next election: they wanna destroy the West!
Dion is already demonstrating his inherited “Liberal” fascism towards the West in particular. Note that there’s no demand in the West for the CWB, yet the new Liebrano mob leader is already declaring his theoretical intent to preserve another vestige of the thankfully-bygone Soviet Canuckistan era of his own party’s previous regime.
Hard-left Quebeqois-Ontarian supremacist ideologues? That quite aptly describes the Liberals.
Imagine if something hated by Quebeckers was removed by the Tories and Dion promised to restore it. Imagine the uproar from les quebecois against the Lib$!
New Decima poll out.
“Denis – THAT’S the right question! Why is the CWB dealing only with the West – and Ontario and Quebec farmers are free to sell their wheat?”
Because Que and Ont produce about as much wheat in comparison to western Canada as Saskatchewan produces in airplanes compared to Quebec and Ontario????
Good point Barcs:
Que/Ont grain farmers need to become part of the CWB in order to improve their share of the market. Perhaps Mr Dion has this in mind. Then the CWB could become a Traditional Canadian Value, much like Universal Health Care.
Cheers
I was listening to the CEO of the CWB lobby for his job on CBC AM Radio last night and was struck by his comment that the BoD of the CWB believes they have a potential “charter challenge” to use as a weapon against the sitting government of the day.
I like a kid with Moxie.
That does raise the question of whether the creation and continued existence of the CWB is a charter rights violation and whether anyone is prepared to throw some money behind a challenge in the courts.
“Because Que and Ont produce about as much wheat”
Irrelevant. Either all citizens have the same freedoms to enjoy property in this country – or we don’t.
I am beginning to think we just need to give this guy enough rope and he will hang himself.
Allow the Auditor General full access to CWB’s books……..and then let’s have this debate again about how great the CWB is. Why do you think they are fighting so hard to keep that information secret? Let’s just have the facts, please – I would think that, at the minimum, farmers should be able to reasonably expect financial accountability and transparency from the monopoly organization that does their marketing.
Either all citizens have the same freedoms to enjoy property in this country
Unless you like to smoke cigarettes. If so, you’d best live on a reserve, which is called “First Nation” but, is not really a nation, even though they call it one, and therefore they shouldn’t encourage Quebec to call itself a Nation or else they may smoke too much as well.
Allow the Auditor General full access to CWB’s books
They are exempt from the Freedom of Information Act and don’t come under the scrutiny of the AG due to the peculiarities of their religious mandate.
Australia takes first step to end wheat exporter’s monopoly
By Tim Johnston / International Herald Tribune
Published: December 5, 2006
Hmmmmm.
Notwithstanding clause
http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/bp194-e.htm
(Ask Mr. Dion which province uses it most liberally)
Equalization payments.
Differential Tax rates across provinces.
Progressive Tax.
Affirmative action.
Government Monopolies like Sasktel (remember you couldn’t own a phone not so long ago?)
Canada is not built on equality of freedoms for people it is built on people in powere trying to balance hundreds of inequalities into their point of view.
I thought you would like to see this small response I got from the CWB. I phoned them and asked them who was paying for the legal action being taken against the federal government. I wonder how many farmers out there know the CWB can dip into their hard earned money when ever it pleases. The gag order has been put into effect not only to stop the CWB from self promoting itself but to stop it from wasting farmers pool account money. The CWB has no right to waist my money on this legal action. The CWB is supposed to return all money to the farmers less marketing costs. It does not have the right or mandate to waist my money on court cases to have a gag order overturned so it can waist more of my hard earned money. I think if Ken Ritter and all the rest of the CWB payroll fear for their gravy jobs so much they should throw some of their paychecks into the pot with mine!
“In response to your question regarding the legal action, all CWB costs are paid from the pool accounts. Any expenditures incurred for legal proceedings will be derived from this source”.
If you have any further inquiries, please e-mail us or call us toll free at 1-800-275-4292.
Charlotte
Business Centre Representative
Farmer Relations and Public Affairs
I’ve mentioned before that Dion sounds like a leftist version of former Manitoba PC leader Stuart Murray.
His lastest missive reinforces my perception that Dion doesn’t have an original thought to call his own; all he has done so far is merely react negatively to whatever the government does, and to uncritically trot out whatever policies the Liberals have been wedded to in the past. The lack of positive new ideas will not go over well with voters, as Stu Murray found out.
Finallly, after weeks of googleing CWB Newman is an expert. Dion probably never heard of it before Saturday. Question still is, What did he know about adscam and when did he know it. Stockwell Day had a good response to that liberal on steroids today, If the member knew so much a month ago, why didn’t he bring it to the attention of the House or the Committee. Even Paul Hunter said, after reading said letter, that if it landed on a Ministers desk, it would appear that the problem was solved. The letter said, due to the inacurracies reported in the media, etc.
The msm takes another fall from grace.
I agree Dwight. It is unfair. But can you name for me a business or non-profit that doesn’t pay expenses like labour, court costs, capital costs, advertising, etc etc out of operating costs before declaring a profit??
As an economic refugee from NL I fully support the end of the CWB. Why? The CWB has signed trade agreements with European countries like Spain and Portugal for those countries to purchase Canadian wheat in exchange for access to the fish resources off the Grand banks of NL. In Spain’s case the lucrative fishing grounds off NL have also been tied to contracts with Bombardier to provide trains and planes for that country.
If farmers have to sell their farmed goods on the world markets there is no need for collective trade agreements between countries. At this moment, there are between 20-30 countries fishing off the coast of NL and using fishing techniques which are devastating the fragile ecosystem of the Grand Banks and Flemish Cap while local residents are given EI and other handouts to stay at home. These local residents can later read in the Globe and Mail about how needy they are and how NL is a have not province.
This is why the CWB is so important to Liberals, especially those from Ont. and Que. They are using the resources of the province of NL, in effect killing its culture and economy, to further the economies of Ont. and Que. Wheat, planes, trains, automobiles all tied into fish resource access.
Kill the CWB and help free NL from its colonial oppressors!
“I am beginning to think we just need to give this guy enough rope and he will hang himself.”–Wildrose
I’m beginning to think that way also. Today in QP, he stands up for not one, but two supplementals directly challenging the PM in a campaign over this issue. Is this how far off the rails the Liberal machine has crashed, or are Western farmers the new whipping boy now that Ralph is gone? Either way, the Libs under Dion are primed to do more serious damage to Canadian unity than Trudeau, Levesque and Bouchard combined.
Look at the money the govt is saving, Zac is gone, CEO of CWB soon will be gone. Perhaps these people should have done their jobs in the best interest of canadians instead of themselves. how much did the RCMP get from ADSCAM. Other head honchos better watch out. Has a replacement been named for the top job at CBC.
Meet the new Liberal leader, same as the old Liberal leader.
Either all citizens have the same freedoms to enjoy property in this country – or we don’t. -Kate
–Absolutely! And that is precisely the very principle/philosophy/value the liberal-left, including the Liberal Party of Canada, refuses to embrace.
I challenge the MSM to quote Kate on that one, for it’s perhaps destined to become a classic quotation.
See: Dion has effectively promised to restore a discriminatory instrument of the state . A communistic vestige of the ancient (Liberal) past. Dion wants to control the entire confederation from the center- Ottawa. The last thing Canada needs/wants is more centralized command and control of everything.
And that is precisely what les quebecois have not been saying they want, same as Western Canada!
I’m afraid that Stephane Dion doesn’t understand the reality of Canada, nor of any of the provinces. Add that to his refusal to surrender his foreign citizenship and we’re already into an expectedly looong list of reasons to avoid Dion and the Liberals as we would Polonium 210!
From the linked article:
“The last time there was a plebiscite on barley a few years ago, the board received support from about two-thirds of those who voted and the turnout was 75 per cent, so that was a pretty significant endorsement,” Goodale told CBC.
Have another plebiscite and let the farmers decide.
THE GREATEST REWARD
by Stephane “Celine” Dion
So suddenly, so strange
Life wakes you up, things change
Ive done my best, Ive served my call
I thought I had it all
So suddenly, so strong
My prejudice was gone
You needed me, I found my place
Im different now, these days
Now the greatest reward
Is the light in your eyes
The sound of your voice
And the touch of your hand
You made me who I am
You trusted me to grow
I gave my heart to show
Theres nothing else I cherish more
I stand by you for sure
Now the greatest reward
Is the love that I can give
Im here for you now
For as long as I live
You made me who I am
So suddenly, its clear to me
Things change
Our future lies in here and now
We made it through somehow
Now the greatest reward
Is the love that I can give
Im here for you now
For as long as I live
You made me who I am
You made me who I am
Keep it up, Stephane, you’re off to a great start!
Keep it up, Stephane, you’re off to a great start!
“Have another plebiscite and let the farmers decide.”
This misses the point, even if 99% of farmers voted to maintain the Wheat Board monopoly you would be suppressing the rights of the 1% who want the freedom to market their grains themselves.
Also, if support of the Wheat Board is so high, making participation in the CWB optional shouldn’t hurt the board’s future at all. After all if the farmers like it they can still use it, only those dissatisfied would go elsewhere.
Regarding this plebicite which Ralph G is waiving around………I have family in farming who saw these and stated uncategorically that the wording was biased to a response in their favour and that the process was rigged.
When you think you’re the monopoly player, you can do this kind of thing and try to get away with it. I’d like to see the actual questions asked in any plebicite that CWB is asserting results for. That and and audit of their books!
No, Denis. The point is that in a democracy you go along with the wishes of the majority. Would it be acceptable for the 60% of the electorate who didn’t vote Conservative to reject Harper as PM and start their own government?
Ah, yes, but the 60% who happened not to vote for Harper didn’t all vote for the same alternate leader. In this country, we are asked to vote FOR someone on the ballot, not AGAINST someone. It’s not quite the same thing.
Whoa – I thought we had a Charter of Rights that can’t be usurped by a democratic vote? If that’s the case, then let’s put gay marriage to a nationwide vote.
OK, so what part of the Charter is the CWB violating? (Not trolling – serious question.)
80% of grain production is done by less than 20% of farmers and 90% of those want freedom to market their grain with out Socialist Nazis interference. Oppressing the economic freedom of individuals is disgusting no matter how many farmers support the CWB. However, the real issue for the Libs is the fraud and corruption yet to be uncovered in the CWB. Paul Jackson of the Calgary Sun said: ” The Conservatives are moving to de-list inactive producers, and just months ago found some 34% of ‘eligible’ electors had made no wheat sales in the past two years.
Almost 10% had made no sales in almost a decade!”
The Liberals know that ” The truth shall set them free” . A scary thought to that corrupt bunch of Liberal gangsters.
The fact that Adrian Measner was with Dion when he made these statements is further proof that the CWB isn’t making the slightest effort to be anywhere near objective in this debate. For that transgression alone, Measner should be fired.
If he wants to be a politician, he should run for office.
“What they’re really afraid of is an opening of the books.”
Kate – I couldn’t agree with you more.
Watching Question Period today, it was interestingly pointed out by the conservatives that nobody from the liberanos have made an access to information request regarding the Wheat Board. What in tarnation are they afraid of finding out? That there isn’t really any value to the board? That the Eastern farmers are blessed by not being shackled by the board… oooh the secrecy of it all.
“OK, so what part of the Charter is the CWB violating?”
How about the individual’s right to liberty (1.7)?
liberty
Freedom from unjust or undue governmental control
And ANOTHER thing (now that you got me going on this thing!) – they are many assertions that lifting this marketing monopoly would free up producers to engage in all sorts of other activities which would result in processing being here in the West. What we’re talking about is generating more economic activity and business starts here.
For example, pasta processing……why are we not doing this in Sask, where we grow a lot of the durum wheat used in pasta? The Sask govt has meddled in this as well, to the detriment of actually getting a pasta plant up and running here. I know there is a pasta plant in Alberta, however.
There is just as much reason to believe that farmers who can manage their own marketing might participate in or encourage all sorts of secondary industry development here in the West, as there is to believe that they can’t survive without the all-knowing, benevolent hand of the CWB managing their marketing. Is this what we’re afraid of? that that we might actually succeed?
“OK, so what part of the Charter is the CWB violating?”
How about the individual’s right to liberty (1.7)?
Freedom from unjust or undue governmental control”
.” Either all citizens have the same freedoms to enjoy property in this country – or we don’t.”
Then give me the choice of whether or not my property should be confiscated to subsidize these freedom loving farmers.
I laughed my head off when I heard Steve Dion say that he would re-impose the CWB on Western farmers if he became PM. The only reason the CWB exists right now is because of inertia, and the fact that western farmers could never find a non-political judge with some balls to allow them to get it to a Court Challenge under the Charter of Rights.
After Western Canadian PM Harper kills the CWB, the EASTERN Liberal citizen of France PM Dion would have to argue the federal government’s necessity to TAKE AWAY the rights and freedoms of the WESTERN grain farmers. I mean, how utterly stupid could these Liberals be? Even using the traditional Liberal method of judge-shopping, any judge would have to be brain dead (unfortunately a real possibility in this Liberal tainted justice system) to re-impose slavery on Western Canada’s farmers again.
This present feudal CWB is a regressive black mark on Western Canadian society, and would be dead meat under any definition of rights in today’s world.
I am sooooooo upset. After selling our farm 7 years ago, guess what, we are finally delisted. Why should we be allowed to vote on this plebicite. We also got a ballot for the election of a new member to the board. Shredded it. Open the books and this will go away, ha ha, there is more scam there than one can imagine. When ever there is a strike on the west coast, all demurrage charges etc are paid for by the CWB, out of farmers money. All legal costs fighting any rulings come out of farmers money. I used to bombard them with questions like, why do you get full salary when you are wasting our money.
There was a Charter challenge of the CWB in the nineties, and it was defeated. Perhaps those who feel strongly about this should try again.