XL Beef

[kato]

How come the permanent closure of XL Beef in Moose Jaw doesn't seem to have caused any kind of fuss? It hardly made the news.

I would think it would be a heads up on how the future will play out if our beef herd keeps shrinking at the rate it is now.

[grassfarmer]

That's a good point Kato - I was appalled when I heard the news. I guess nearly all the producer organisations and farm media support Nilssons anti-competitive behavior though. They failed to act or voice concern when Nilssons were allowed to purchase the Lakeside plant - only the NFU forceably opposed that takeover. The argument that won the day with the Competition Bureau was that allowing the Lakeside takeover would not restrict market outlets for producers cattle as they would still operate Moose Jaw. Surprise, surprise they didn't honor that commitment.
There is much talk of reigning in CFIA on here lately - how about the suggestion to fire everyone at the Competition Bureau and start over? It is operating now as the corporate concentration rubber stamp bureau.

[perfecho]

Spoke to my MP back when Nilsson’s were heavy handing the buyers group down south. He said the Competition Bureau would look into matters if they received .....I believe.... 6 written complaints.
We, as a group, other than a few that are slugging it out with the BSE petitions, do not tend to do anything. (My greatest pet peeve in the industry)
During the Nilsson fiasco, my MP asked what I would like him to do in regards to this matter. After some thought, I replied "Do what is right". I find it frustrating that a well paid, educated individual needs to wait for little ole me to give him direction in a job that he is privileged to receive.
Fire the whole works....have a good one!

[kato]

Next election, maybe that's what we need to do. Clean "House", so to speak.

That's why it's called a democracy.

[Kathy]

Canada is not a democracy. As Alex Jones states,
"democracy is two wolves and a sheep deciding
what's for supper" [www.infowars.com] We are
under the British monarchy, as our Governor
General and Lt. Governors are still required for our
legislation to be passed into law. The Queen still
owns us and Canadian resources,et al. She has
given us a little room to wiggle, but, the collar and
leash are still attached.

The USA is a Republic, although they don't act like it
either. But, this is starting to change with states
exercising their constitutional rights and pushing
back against the feds.

Both federal governments are behaving like BIG
BROTHER with the elected politicians ignoring what
the grassroots people want and jumping to the cue
of their corporate masters and Wall Street.
Check out http://donttreadonmemovie.com/ [the
American perspective].

XL Beef is just one more example of promises
broken. Bruce Power promised to keep its nuclear
waste (32 steam generators) on a local site near
their Ontario reactors, when they got permission to
'refurbish' their reactors at Owen Sound, ON. This
is what was promised in their Environmental
Assessment required to get the OK for the refurbish
projects.

Now, Bruce Power wants to ship their radioactive
metal parts via boat to Sweden, where it will be
recycled and sold into the free market, where the
metal can then be used in regular consumer goods
(like cheese graters etc). An another government
agency, allowing broken promises with huge
consequences.

[kato]

We still have the power to boot the slackers out. All we need to do is use it.

[RShields]

The union made them do it! LOL.
To bad thier wasn't sombody to make a legitimate offer to buy the plant for the original purchase price Brian Allmighty got it for from the Sask NDP. If I remember right he also go a $1.5 million opperating loan and a never never plan on the plant payments.

[RShields]

Here's a more factual account of the purchase.
http://mollymew.blogspot.com/2010/08/canadian-labour-moose-jaw-xl-beef-to-be.html
You will have to cut and paste it to your browser.