As expected, Adrian Measner has been replaced;
The Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, today announced the appointment of Greg Arason as interim President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB). Mr. Arason will serve for a three-month transition period until a new President can be selected.
“Since Mr. Arason was the Wheat Board’s President for four years and has an enormous amount of experience as an executive in the grain industry, I am confident he will provide the leadership required during this transition phase,” said Minister Strahl. “I am pleased he has accepted this interim appointment, as it will allow us sufficient time to make sure we find the right person to do the job on a permanent basis.”
Mr. Arason was President and CEO of the CWB between 1998 and 2002 and prior to that was CEO of Manitoba Pool Elevators. He has served as a director of a number of agri-business companies and industry associations including CanAmera Foods, Can-Oat Milling, The Chamber of Maritime Commerce, Canada Grains Council, Prince Rupert Grain, Westco Fertilizers, Western Grain Elevator Association, and XCAN Grain.
The Western Producer responds with an attempted self-immolation. When it comes to editorial rants, that’s going to be hard to top!
In related news – a standing ovation from Quebec farmers for PM Stephen Harper.
PreviousBells tolled and a packed parish hall of grateful locals gave Stephen Harper a standing ovation after the Prime Minister confirmed yesterday his government’s intention to return nearly all of the remaining farmland expropriated for the construction of Mirabel airport.
Barcs, you have no idea of how much I make, and you have no idea of how much my farm produced over the 50 years we owned it. To say you pay more in taxes than I make, you have an extremely profitable farm and very high taxable income even with taking advantage of all possible deductions. You must also have a huge rrsp account. Either that, or a very poor accountant, or you do your own books and tax return. With that much money, I do hope you spending it wisely. Guess you don’t qualify for any of the farm support payments either. But you should get the maximum cpp when the time comes, but probably not the old age pension. Thank you for saving taxpayers money in the future.
Not hard to believe there are humanoids as stupid as jeff and leftdogshit here in Turdopia. What a shame if farmers had a choice. Took a trip down the border road between Montana and Alberta with my father last year, heading west the farm on the left has huge machinery pine trees big house etc, house on the right has a leftdog and one grain bin and a Lada, little further, same thing old house old chev truck broken down machinery on the north side big operation on the American side, my dad says that farmer is sure progressive on that side of the road I wonder why this farmer is such a failure, to which I answered Dad the Montana farmer was getting 6.97 for his durham in Shelby 2 years ago this Alberta farmer was getting wheat board prices of 2.95 you on the border now. He just shook his head and wondered why he had spent 65 years farming. Commie on you losers that like the wheat board.
School tax alone cost the farm more than 20k’s. not to mention another 8k’s in municipal. Did I mention I pay for my “subsidized” university education on top of that??
Wish I had the problem of earning more than $37,000…. or too many RRSP’s (I think I have to opportunity to contribute $30-50,000 for the last few years if I ever get any money)
Who said anything about big “income” taxes????
Despite his absence on the appointments list, former NHL great Ken Dryden will have a prominent role for the Liberals in the next election, Dion said.
“Ken is the heart of our party,” Dion said, adding that Dryden would join him in an initiative to counter the government’s firing of the president of the Canadian Wheat Board.
“He is so close to the Canadian people and I want him to be everywhere.”
http://tinyurl.com/ye7fo7
“The Governor General of Canada acting on the advice of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada (ie, Cabinet)”
(Remember minority government here.)
And I would expect someone as learned as you Larry to understand (or atleast read) the rest of the act too. Here’s where it includes the possibility of Barley, and/or Oats.
CWB ACT
47. (1) The Governor in Council may, by regulation, extend the application of Part III or of Part IV or of both Parts III and IV to oats or to barley or to both oats and barley.
Modifications
(2) Where the Governor in Council has extended the application of any Part under subsection (1), the provisions of that Part shall be deemed to be re-enacted in this Part, subject to the following:
(a) the word “oats” or “barley”, as the case may be, shall be substituted for the word “wheat”;
(b) the expression “oat products” or “barley products”, as the case may be, shall be substituted for the expression “wheat products”; and
And finally the Liberals tack on the end and hope it works but rather meaningless unless in a minority addendum.
47.1 The Minister shall not cause to be introduced in Parliament a bill that would exclude any kind, type, class or grade of wheat or barley, or wheat or barley produced in any area in Canada, from the provisions of Part IV, either in whole or in part, or generally, or for any period, or that would extend the application of Part III or Part IV or both Parts III and IV to any other grain, unless
(a) the Minister has consulted with the board about the exclusion or extension; and
(b) the producers of the grain have voted in favour of the exclusion or extension, the voting process having been determined by the Minister.
Question:
When do we see…THE BOOKS?
What sweet deals were made?
Did Maurice Strong receive any special benefit?
….yes folks there are lots of questions to be answered.
It will be interesting..to say the least!
I am glad that Mr. Strahl sent that slick, oily Measner down the proverbial road. This great country is dragging itself out of Tru-stupia and this fool was trying to stop the wheels of progress. Listening to the hard left whiners is not only a waste of time, it is very hard on the nerves.
Now lets get cracking on those WB books. Off with them to the honorable Sheila Fraser for a review. Look for the bouncing bunny Easter, and his hareeee ilk, fleeing to China or Cuba.
Yes, Alice – there is a Santa Claus and there is an Accountability Act. Taxpayers of the nation – rejoice. Thank-you Mr. Strahl and PMSH.
To quote Mary T Merry Christmas to all the Muslims reading this.
Am I to assume you believe Deloitte and Touche are two bit hacks then??
http://www.cwb.ca/public/en/library/publications/
Also AG 2002 report and several others. (but you don’t really want information do you??)
——————–
On another note. Would you want to deal with a (private) company who gives detailed accounting to all its competitors?? Or a company with a CEO not willing to fight for the company??
Barcs; Why go back to the sewer stink of Adscam over and over again? Read Hansard and you will find things about your accounting outfit, mentioned above, that are very unsavory,
Now, lets get those books on their way….so the Conservatives can give the taxpayers of this country a Happy New Year.
Mr. Dion’s pre-election stance “I will re-instate the Wheat Board” reminds me of 1993 Liberal promises, when Mr. Chretien screamed that he will scrap the GST and rip up the free trade agreement.
Seems like Mr. Dion is still relying on Mr. Chretien’s mentoring.
“Am I to assume you believe Deloitte and Touche are two bit hacks then??”
Yes you are.Two of this companies more notable scam files,(not to mention adscam and Canada post), were Nortel and Adelphia.
Try googling your beloved Deloitte and Touche with the word adscam.And as you will find out this company was given contracts by the Liberals for audits of some Liberal programs that turned out how you say? Stinky!!
Oh yeah,and the audit you linked to in your post is actually the CWB website.You really think they would be stupid enough to list anything harmful to them on there?And the AG report you mentioned was dealing with the CWB IT program.Any other things you need dispelled for you?
Can anyone explain to me (as a boy who grew up in Toronto) why a farmer should have to be thrown in jail,(as done by the Ralph Goodale experience) for trying to sell his own product?
Was this done to show that statism is alive and well in the Liberal party?
I can’t help but think, that citoyen Dion would undo everything the conservatives have worked so hard to right if that asshat is elected.
Beaker is typical of all lefties who think the state should intervene in all areas of our lives.
Canada deserves better than liars and cheats who masquerade as a political party.
AdScam Pettigrew returns to Deloitte.
Their motto: Figures don’t lie; but, liars can figure.
Nortel has now fired Deloitte.
Here is the bjmmdfgt, bafflegab, from Deloitte.
…-
…-
Toronto, October 23, 2006 — Deloitte is pleased to announce that the Honourable Pierre S. Pettigrew, former member of Parliament and federal cabinet minister, is returning to the firm as Executive Advisor, International, following 10 years of public service.
Deloitte Canada Chief Executive, Alan MacGibbon, welcomed Mr. Pettigrew noting, “Having an individual of Pierre’s calibre choose Deloitte further establishes us as the professional services firm of choice for both clients and talented people.”
Adds Pettigrew, “Returning to my business roots at Deloitte is a wonderful opportunity to work with the…
I have been reading with great interest here the Pro’s Con’s of the CWB, Iam from ontario & do not really follow or pretend to even understand the workings of the CWB.
My question is, How is it that an Ontario farmer can sell their wheat products not through the board & With no penalties? Yet when a western farmer sells their product outside the board they face massive fines with the possibility of a jail term(of which has happened). So Where is the fairness in that, I believe the terms used would be what? Dictatorship? Only we know what is best for you Comrade you will not think just produce for the bettermeant of the people.
oh no.
“private for profit” farming, what a concept.
Why aren’t the LIEberals and the Dippers going into spasms over “two-tier farming”? If it’s good enough for western farmers, it should be good enough for eastern farmers too.
Just wondering, how many of you are actually farmers?
If you want to find out how the farmers feel about the CWB, then hold the plebicite and let the farmers decide, not the government.
Remember, Chuck Strahl speaks for all farmers just as Stephen Harper speaks for all Canadians, right Kate?
“My question is, How is it that an Ontario farmer can sell their wheat products not through the board & With no penalties?”
Bryan – you have expressed the total gist of the whole conundrum with the CWB. This has always been an “unfair” east vs west board. Most people do not know anything about the CWB (I count myself among those as I do not farm), if our MSM was doing their job and reporting on “facts” as they should be, maybe Canadians would see this as a levelling of the playing field rather than a “mean-spirited” decision by the CPC.
Being from Ontario, you can be one voice to spread the “facts” of the CWB. Spread the word.
For those who are interested, Adrian “crybaby” Measner and Stephane Dion will be on CJOB this morning on the Richard Cloutier show, no doubt telling all who will listen how wonderful it is that farmers can be threatened with jail for selling wheat or barley without the permission of the Wheat Board.
I’m just wondering if Stephane Dion has ever met a government program that he didn’t fall in love with.
One emerging problem for Dion is that even though his policy ‘positions’ are consistent (do the opposite of whatever Harper is doing), they are so incoherent as to be almost impossible to defend. It’s going to be entertaining to watch him during the Leaders Debates and while being (hopefully) challenged at press conferences. Eventually, Dion will be reduced to an annoying immitation of his mentor Chretien. I.E. no matter what question Dion is asked on a particular issue, his response will just be a mindless recital of the talking points he has memorized.
Think back to the 2000 Election debates when the blubbering Chretien was under relentless attack from Day, Clark, Duceppe and Alexa McDonaugh for an indication of what will come Dion’s way from a much stronger array of debaters.
Mick:
While I am not actually a farmer, I do have an opinion on the topic. You are correct that a plebiscite should be held on the CWB issue. Please note however, the firing of this individual does not mean the dismatling of the CWB. However, it is important to note a couple of irregularities in the CWB’s position:
– the CWB only markets western wheat. Ontario and Quebec farmers are by and large exempted. This is a two tiered system.
– the CWB is not a government agency, nor are they private. Therefore, who are they accountable to?
I think we could have a workable system with the CWB selling on behalf of a guaranteed price for those who wish, and a private sales for those who don’t. I really think this would offer the best of all worlds.
The problem with plebiscites is:
1. the loudest, most obnoxious voicings become mantras, and,
2. results can be effected by wordings.
While I would like to believe this would be the most reasonable method, the fact remains that this would most likely be perverted by those who have the most to lose.
Mick or Barcs or one of the CWB supporters.
Could one of you please answer my question?
How is it fair that a person can be thrown in jail for selling a legally grown product in this country?? Does this not seem the least bit criminal to you?
“Why aren’t the LIEberals and the Dippers going into spasms over ‘two-tier farming’? If it’s good enough for western farmers, it should be good enough for eastern farmers too.”
Good one!
Barcus: Where do you live. I have never seen a property tax assessment that has school taxes over twice the amount of the property tax. 20,000 thousand dollars for school taxes. If you earn less than 37,000. dollars, and pay 28,000 thousand in school and municipal taxes, time to find another job. Also, to pay that amt of school tax, you must have a huge farm. Something is very wrong with your stmts. But, you are wrong, you do not pay more in taxes than I make. Also, if you have between 30-50 thousand rrsp limit, you had to be making big profit somewhere down the line. That cushion comes from profit of earned income only. Welfare, interest, investment and pension income do no qualify.
Merry Christmas to all SDA posters.
Perhaps I am just in a holiday mood but I am just pleased as punch to see our PM and Ag Minister address the CWB as well as the biofuels industry. I feel as a Westerner, we are being heard in Ontario for the first time in a very long time. The CWB can still play–they just have to learn to share.
Everyone seems to be making some assumptions as to how I feel about the CWB.
But does anyone have a better idea on what is better?
What are the solution/alternatives being brought forth if the CWB does lose it’s monopoly.
So far, I haven’t heard anything other than let the farmers market their own product. Who are they going to market to? What, if any, rules or laws are going to be put forth? Please enlighten me.
Until then, I cannot/will not make an uneducated decision on whether the CWB should stay as a monopoly or not.
Jezuz, Mick – do you not have any knowledge of the vast number of other cereal and oilseed crops grown and marketed privately across the prairies? Or that none of their growers are lobbying to have them added to this “invaluable” CWB monopoly? How can that be?
You know, it boils down to this – who to believe? The Canadian Wheat Board or my own lying eyes?
The Wheat Board, says………………………..
well what do they really know, who are they protecting, everything is about the wheat board…well really it is about the farmers….they don’t care about the farmers. they care about their gov’t jobs, end of story….even the elected directors only care about their jobs,they make good money being cwb directors. If they weren’t getting paid, Ritter and Flaman would still be for freedom of choice, instead of falling in line with lefty appointed gov’t directors and old guard elected ones….
What I find really funny, the cwb takes my money and pays some profs at ag departments of western schools, gives them the info that they want published and then when it comes out, they publish it as the tuth….Give me your money and let me decide what i want published and i’ll get the results i want too.
I’m sick of having THE CWB SPEND MY MONEY, to defend their cushy a$$ jobs, get out in the real world and earn a living….
Mick,
I think there should be laws passed by your neighbors that would throw you in jail for buying farm supplies such as chemicals or farm equipment at better prices than them or for buying them from an un approved supplier. There should be nothing wrong with that as long as there is a majority in support of it don’t ya thinl?. See anything wrong with this picture.
You and supporters of this regime see nothing wrong with oppression of those that want choice but I would be willing to bet if they imposed an oppressive law that you don’t like you would be whining like a 2 year old.
Good god all these people are looking for is freedom of choice.
“But does anyone have a better idea on what is better?” – Mick
Come on Mick, give your head a shake. What do farmers in Ontario and Quebec do with their wheat?? They seem to do just fine withouth having to sell to the CWB. Prairie farmers will do exactly what eastern farmers do…. Its done in the East, it can be done in the West. That should answer your questions.
As for a the pro-CWB posters on here, my god its crazy how you people are arguing that the monopoly must be kept in check for Western farmers, while farmers elsewhere in the country aren’t forced to sell to the CWB. What about equal rights??? What is okay for Quebecers and Ontarians should be okay for farmers out West.
It makes me sick to still hear people are arguing for Western farmers to be FORCED into selling to a monopoly that many don’t want while elsewhere in the country farmers have the FREEDOM to sell their product to whom they CHOOSE. When this is all said and done the CWB will still be intact and a good majority of wheat growers will probably still sell into it… but let those who don’t want to sell to the CWB have the same freedoms that Ontarians and Quebecers have to market their own grains.
Hillarious to see the Lefties and Dippers argue FOR the East-West ‘non-equality’ here with the CWB monopoly, and that somehow the Conservatives don’t believe in equal rights…. how hippocritical. Kudos to Strahl for ending Measners’ tenure. Measners job was to sell wheat, not cozy up to opposition leaders to make a political statement toward his own agenda. He deserved to get turfed for his actions. Good on the Conservatives for pushing ahead with marketing choice for farmers. The CWB will still be there for those who want to use it but it is about time that Western farmers get treated EQUALLY to those in the rest of the country. This is 100% about EQUALITY, FREEDOM and CHOICE. You can’t argue FOR these things yet be pro-CWB monopoly. Liberals and NDP, what is is going to be?? You can’t sit on both sides of the fence….. Canadians will see through that….
rd
A plebiscite is not the right thing to do. I don’t care if every single farmer except for one feels that the CWB should be maintained as is, that farmer should have the right to sell his property to whomever he wants.
How would the lefties feel if we proposed a national , binding referendum on gay marriage, abortion, or some perceived minority right?
Citizen Dion has a dream:
Ble, aka wheat, Free-For-All at the Socialist FoodBank,aka monopoly.
M. Dion flew west to the “heart of the grain trade” with his dreams of socialist supply and control.
Dion does not mention Stalin’s holodor, massive starvation/genocide of the kulaks, farmers, in the Ukraine.
Dion’s dreams of socialism were Stalin’s genocides.
…-
Dion announces support for Wheat Board
WINNIPEG (CP) – Liberal Leader Stephane Dion went to the heart of the grain trade to announce his support for the Canadian Wheat Board’s marketing monopoly.(cnews)
I find the most interesting comments on this topic, come from non-prairie, non-farmer contributors, and what is most interesting is that one can almost hear them scratching their heads in bemusement. Why would any farmer support the CWB? Why would any farmer vote for anyone who supports the CWB? The simple answer – culture. I mean culture in the broadest sense of a learned set of gut level values that one has great difficulty re-programming, even in the face of obviously conflicting evidence. The elements of the prairie farm culture that cause, mostly elderly, people to support an atrocity like the wheat board, are as follows:
1. There have been hard times in the past and they could come again, therefore I will be satisfied with a guarantee of a minimally adequate return on my investment; and
2. I will only be satisfied with that return provided my neighbour isn’t doing better than me.
And the reason that any younger people would ascribe to these is the same – culture. These values are cultural memes propagated from parent/teacher to child, and some farm children just don’t seem to have the wherewithal to break the vicious cycle by thinking for themselves.
albertagirl…MSM is doing their part(sarc)…CBC radio announced Dion’s response to the CWB decision, and added that Quebec farmers favour the CWB…
of course no mention of the farmers in Quebec that gave Harper a standing ovation this week…
GLASNOST: Excellent post. I agree with your analysis that those that are voting against change are jealously guarding against the prospect of a neighbor doing better than them. This is socialism in its most putrid form.
Take a look at this quote:
” Canada’s Grain Handling System Will Not Work Without The Order Imposed By The Wheat Board” – http://ndpcaucus.sk.ca/headline-361.html
That’s simply lying. How many farmers, including us, had to put our grain on the ground because the CWB would not take it right away?
And why, when comparing CWB prices to US market prices, the the time value of money is neglected? Final payments don’t come until a good year after and most producers have high interest loans to pay off during that time. Also, like said above, our grain lost grade by sitting on the ground – is that factored into the price comparison?
One more thing – I don’t get how anyone can claim that a majority farmers support the board based on CWB director elections. Only a plebisite can show where farmers truly stand (Whether a plebisite is appropiate for this case is another issue.)
Apparently, according to our Saskatchewan gov’t, “75% of Farmers Want The Wheat Board” – http://ndpcaucus.sk.ca/headline-361.html – I wish they would source this number. Also, when since does the Sask NDP party speak for rural, grain producing Saskatchewan? Its a clear fact the Sask Party has an overwhemingly majority in the rural region.
I’m done now.
vf: why wouldn’t Quebec farmers support the cwb, they don’t have to sell to it….the price of grain on eastern Canada is much higher than what western farmers are paid…Why? I think it is because they can sell to who ever they want and at the price they want….I’ll bet that they wouldn’t be in favour of having to sell all their grain to the cwb….I’m in favour of the death penalty as long as no one I know is found guilty of murder….
What is most interesting is all this sanctimonious, right wing blather about the right to one’s property while at the same time demanding the right to avail oneself of someone else’s property. This is hypocrisy in it’s most putrid form.
Ross…my reference was more to CBC bias…do they really know or care what Quebec farmers support?And if they do have a handle on Quebec farmers where was the story about the standing ovation for Harper?The report did not clarify(and not everyone is well informed on the subject) that Quebec farmers are not required to sell to the CWB, so the information was more about Dion, then the farmers.It was just a 10 second sound bite that CBC used to misinform.(INMHO)
We had a little farm in Ontario …we saw the Milk Marketing Board in operation. Our neighbour had to dump his milk down the drain if his cows ‘over produced’…they would not buy it form him…another neighbour, employing some locals in his egg operation shut down after too many hassles from the ‘clipboard kings’.
What’s that mj???…something your smokin’ must be fogging your brain…if a farmer doesn’t own his crop, who (in your opinion ) has the ‘rights’ to it?
maryjane, I am not sure I have ever seen a more hateful rabidly obsessed individual since Jeffry Dahmer. Your trolling is so pathetically one dimensional that if farm subsidies ever stopped you would eat your young. What am I saying you probably already have.
I was just up on the cwb web site to get the pro price on ss 2 row malt barley.
They are quoteing an initial payment of 147.00 per ton or 3.20 per bu.
FUNNY, i sold some 2row malt right off the combine and only received 1.14 per bu.
I guess the wb thinks it looks better not to take off the freight first, eh fella’s!
Their pro is predicting another 56 dollars per ton or 1.22 per bu. for a grand total of 1.14 + 1.22_=2.36 per bu. total, and i will have to waite over a year yet to get my money.
Right now i can price feed barley for 3.00 per bu. for may delivery and get all my money in may. What do you cwb types think you are doing???? No wonder your customers are bragging about your work!!!!
Keep it up Stephen & Chuck, you have my support!
Merry Christmas all
Lefties, it gives me great pleasure to dash your hopes on the producer vote you like to quote in section 47 of the CWB Act. It just isn’t needed to end the monopoly.
All eastern producers are under the same so-called monopoly Part IV of the CWB Act, and always have been. But eastern producers are allowed outside of the CWB monopoly simply by the granting of licences that all exporters must have. There never was any vote for that.
Export licences granted to western farmers also frees them from the CWB monopoly, and there is absolutely no need for a vote and it could be done immediately.
Maryjane, regarding your reference to “..demanding the right to avail oneself of someone else’s property….” If you mean subsidies to agriculture, I’m a farmer, and I agree with you.
”maryjane, I am not sure I have ever seen a more hateful rabidly obsessed individual since Jeffry Dahmer.”
What I find detestable is self-righteous, right-wing hypocrisy. No issue illustrates this hypocrisy quite so vividly as agricultural, special interest, I’m entitled to my entitlements bleating. While I tire from paying for it, I never tire from pointing it out.
mj would defend the gay ‘rights’ social agenda, but not the hard working farmers ‘rights’ to their produce…guess if they were growing marahoochie it would be a different story.
Steeephaane Dion is telling us the Quebec farmers are happy with the CWB, thank you very much. Well, as long as Quebec is happy then that settles it. He bad grasp of English is only surpassed by his totally retarded grasp of anything east of the Ontario border. Harper is going to eat him for lunch during the next election. The English debate should be a hoot.
Yes and MJ is probably the first one on the picket line!
Never considering where that money is going to come from…probably thinks from the company he or she works for. Where do you suppose your company gets the money MJ?? Most likely squeezes a little out of my pocket by higher prices, but that’s ok, right MJ!
BTW MJ if your growing your own can a bis, do you consider that yours or everyone elses to??
If the Government wants to chart a new course of wheat producers in western Canada, I invite them to present it to parliament. Change the ACT.