De Pape vs Hursh on CWB Ships

[bucket]

The conservatives just had to make the bill, pass it and then fight an election over it. Then they would have their majority.

OR implement the cwb across canada as Easter and Goodale want. Either way the liberals, ndp, and Bloq DO NOT want to fight an election over the cwb.

And yes the conservatives are to blame because they have choices as to how to get the job done. They are not putting any effort into it.

IF they would put as much effort into it as they do for getting cash for their elections, they would have this done already.

Blaming judges is the weakest excuse I've heard.

[gustgd]

My Question to the person who sends out the e-surveys

Andrea were the laker's that have been purchased part of this series of surveys?
Either before the purchase or since?
Has a survey been done of farmers (note not permit book holders) about capital purchases by the CWB?
looking forward to your reply.


and their reply.


Hello Gerrid.



In answer to your questions, we have not specifically surveyed on the issue of a laker purchase. What is clear is that farmers welcome efforts to increase their bottom line. Surveys, meetings and individual discussions all reinforce this message. I think you would agree that farmers want the CWB to maximize their returns and minimize their costs.



This includes innovative solutions such as ownership of transportation infrastructure like rail hopper cars and lake vessels. Seventy-four per cent of farmers surveyed in 2006 (annual producer survey) said they believed it was important for the CWB to get more deeply involved in grain transportation. In 2009, 81 per cent agreed that transportation costs were a problem.



The sound business case behind the investment in lakers presented an exciting opportunity. The economic rationale was carefully analyzed by staff, discussed by our board of directors, assessed by an independent accounting firm and shared with the federal government. Instead of simply paying $70 to $75 million every year for transporting grain through the Great Lakes, farmers will now also share in the resulting revenue, netting at least $10 million a year. The concept is identical to the rationale behind the CWB’s purchase over the years, and recent upgrading, of 3,400 rail hopper cars.



The CWB’s pursuit of profits for farmers does not end at the elevator, but continues throughout the supply chain from farm to end user. At every link in this chain, we strive to reduce costs and maximize return.


Andrea Coulling

Canadian Wheat Board

(204) 984-3921

andrea_coulling@cwb.ca

[TOM4CWB]

Dear CWB employees,

IF you think this is such a great idea...

I demand you at the CWB take 10% of your net wages... and buy a share in a part of these ships and this shipping pool. Then if you do not net as much for 'designated area' growers as US growers get... grade and quality equal... you lose your 10% in porportion to the net on the ships and losses vs. US growers grain.

2 pools are at risk here... NOT just the ONE for the ships!

No opt-in... YOU are ALL in. JUST like I am required to spend $1000's each for 4 years. My retirement money is going into your ships! So should your savings!!!

Then perhaps there would be a better chance we would get good value for our Capital!!!

[Steve_Winkler]

I sent a letter to Minister Ritz on Sunday. Stating much the same thing as above. Will send one to my MP as well. Truly fed up with the state of things in "the designated area" .

Steve

[Kodiak]

Dear Andrea,
Thank-you for your reply to my questions on the ship purchase. I appreciate your prompt response, but just to let you know, the talking points memo sent out by the Wheat Board to its political support team has already been widely heard. It is clear it was broadly dispersed ahead of the announcement by the CWB, and just to assure you, it has been repeated ad nauseum by the NFU, Kevin Hurch, and the loudest of the trained seals you have engaged to protect your power over farmers. So not to put too fine a point on it, your reply shed no new light on this matter for me.

But here is another question for you. If buying ships is a good investment, why stop at two? Why not buy 10? In fact why did the CWB not buy the entire lake fleet? Surely, using your rationale and philosophy on marketing and monopolies, having a monopoly on great lakes shipping would net huge benefits to farmers. But why even stop there? Why not buy out all the terminals in Thunder Bay? And Vancouver and Prince Rupert? Have you called Mayo? Maybe he’ll talk. Surely you could come to some arrangement suitable to Mr. Measner. Perhaps you could hire him as the CEO of your great lakes operating division? I’m sure he’d appreciate the offer. Maybe between the two of you, you could even reward him more handsomely than you are now through your barely concealed golden handshakes over the Mission Terminal arrangement, and now the lakers.

But you know Andrea, this is such a good idea, I think you should propose to the CWB board of directors that it would be a good investment and a good use of farmers’ money to buy out the farm equipment manufacturers. You could start small. Maybe just two to give the idea some traction. Say John Deere and CNH. Then what the heck, buy out all the rest and have a monopoly!!! Wouldn’t that be grand. Farmers would then have control of the machinery sector. The next target would be the fertilizer, seed, and pesticide manufacturers.

And since I know you must covet the success that the canola industry has had, and would dearly love to control canola marketing too, I think the CWB should enter into a strategic arrangement with the canola crushing industry. Maybe start by building a new crush plant . Then once that investment is proven , you could buy all the existing ones! Wouldn’t it be beneficial to have farmers in control of this too! It will be said to be such a good investment, I’m sure not one will object.

In conclusion Andrea, there is limitless potential here. Since you have total control over the money from the sale of my grain (and all my farmer colleagues) why not just go all the way and buy my farm too. And my neighbours and family who also have farms. The domination the CWB would have over the Canadian agricultural economy will be complete and ensure prosperity for all.

Why didn’t we all think of this before?

Sincerely,
Kodiak

[Lifer]

Actually didn't the Alberta Wheat Pool (AWP)think of this before. Whatever happened to the brewery they invested in? and where is AWP today? just saying

[Braveheart]

And what about SWP's diasastrous ownership of Robin's Doughnuts? That lead balloon went down harder than one of their doughnuts.

[vvalk]

I question Hursh's arrogance saying that its "only" a $1 a tonne. That is tens of thousands of dollars for many farmers. Didn't know writing articles was so lucrative to throw out words like "only" when talking about that kind of money.
Who will actually own these ships? Can the CWB actually have their name on the title? What will happen in the future when the single desk is eliminated?

[vvalk]

only shouldn't be in quotations. Not a quote but the way he comes across

[agstar77]

Shared with the federal Government, so Ritz knew ahead of time.

[Fransisco]

Think about it this way, at $6.50/bushel it comes to 10 million bushels of wheat.

[Hopperbin]

Along with forced seaway participation.
Grain will get sold at a loss to pay for the vessels.

[Hopperbin]

Along with quebec ownership of the other vessels, we will be assured to have no say on the sale of our grain.

[Kodiak]

You're absolutely right Hopper. Why would anyone lock themselves into a situation where you have transportation costs and destinations locked in ahead of time? What if it makes more sense to ship through the gulf of Mexico? Or the PNW? CN has a direct route to the gulf and it might be very competetive to make shipments through that route rather the seaway in the future.
Now the CWB will be forced to use the seaway even if it is a more costly alternative in order to justify their "investment". Any way you look at this, this is going to cost us. And we won't ever really know how much.
What a bunch of jacka$$e$.

[wmoebis]

I wonder if this was voted on by the new by the new directors or before they were voted in?

If before why weren't we made aware of it before the election?

If after it should have been made public so it could have been made a campain issue.

And don't try tell me Ritz didn't know about this all along. Maybe it was even his and Harpers idea, trying to stir up more unrest with the board.

Maybe they couldn't say anything because it is part of the Gag order that Harper has on the CWB and his ministers.