CWB Pool on Marketing Freedom Day!!

[parsley]

The CPC has indicated, consistently, for years, that the CWB will be there for those who wan to use it.

When did they change their policy?

[AdamSmith]

So your saying a voluntary wheat pooling marketing organization with no regulatory powers calling themselves the cwb CAN NOT EXIST without a federal act written and enacted during the height of WWII ??

[parsley]

They can. But not immediately.

Unless, of course, you've personally bid on and purchased the ships, filled the signed contracts which have to legally be fulfilled, some several years from now; are underwriting the contracts the accredited agents have entered into, and are willing to sort out the cash advances that you want paid back.

None of the above apply to me personally, so I am able to look upon them as a third party observer.

In the meantime, market access is possible. Tommorow. Or is that a concept so unfamilair, it is unimaginable?

[AdamSmith]

Try looking at it this way, the CWB is an asset of the Federal Government, just like the Canada Post building in my town.

I'd still get my mail even if that building were to close it's doors.I may have to go to a different location to get it but it sure wouldn't mean I'd never get my mail ever again.

Any obligation and function currently done by the cwb can be done by a host of any other governmental depts, especially were that to happen only for transistional purposes.

The problem with saying "just give me a licence" is the HIGH HIGH risk of the gov't doing just that,then wiping their hands and saying "Our job is done here, next."

And besides what makes you think the cwb will be anymore accomodating with granting licences than they have been, say fullfilling access to information requests or respecting the gag order or any number of things?

[AdamSmith]

Was just watching Minister Flaherty being interviwed on Power and Politics
and Evan Soloman was aking about the high gas prices and it they are prepared to intervene.

Paraphrasing here, he said something like gas prices are a function of the marketplace and governments have no more business regulating energy markets than they do wheat markets.

Hmmm.

did the finance minister let the cat out of the bag here or just an innocent use of a phrase?

[parsley]

The problem with saying "Just repeal the Act" is that you don't hold any trump cards, do you? other than loudness and perhaps a novel curse word or two.

As you say. The Governmetn owns the assets. They don't own the grain. Let's just say the world price of wheat goes to $20.00. The Board has contracted for $8 for two years. I'm sure they'll repeal the Act so the Gov't can make up the diff. Esp. if the Canadian $ happened to rise.

Playing high stakes poker is fine if you have enuff in the bank to ride it through. I'm not so sure most farmers do...if what hear about op loans is true.

Does your present reach exceed your credibility grasp?

[parsley]

Ask yourself these questions: How many owe the CWB an advance payment? What is the collateral? Do you have the cash to go and pay it off?

[AdamSmith]

Parsley, what are talking about?

None of us owns a trump card.

The feds will do what the feds want to do.

But by your logic so long as the cwb keep issuing cash advances and keep making contracts they can live on in perpetuity.

What happens if prairie farmers ask for licences to export 99.999% of the wheat grown?

Who'll fill the cwb contracts??

oops, can't have that so we'll have to limit a farmer to just 100t. Na, first come first serve would be better. Some are happy the others, oh well!

The cash advance issue is a non starter. That money is owed to the feds anyway. The grain co's would just send it to a different federal account.

As I said the feds will do what the feds want to do. If the feds choose they no longer want to be in the grain business, I suspect they will get out of the grain business.

handing out licences is keeping them in the grain business.

[parsley]

Handing out export licenses:
1. Requires no legislative change
2. Is instant
3. Still collects advances
4. Honors present contracts
5. Opens the flow of grain and commerce that is irreversible. Once started, there will be no turning back.

Asking for legislative change today, means tying the process up in parliamentary commitees etc. for quite some time.

Besides, I don't know who has done the prep work to deal with the the aftermath of 'instant dissolution' that ends dragging out 4 years. Maybe you have. You are capable. But I'm going to guess hasn't been yr winter project. Better hope it's not the Board saying, "We'll look after it"

[Braveheart]

Pars, instant no cost export licenses is a bogus idea. First, it's "export". For the average farmer this isn't easy. Grain doesn't move into American elevators without an end user certificate. Usually too much inconvenience for small volumes of grain for elevator managers to deal with. Cash advances are not owed to the wheat board per se, they only administer them for the Federal gov't. Is there a problem collecting canola advances? Not that i've ever heard. Export licenses do nothing for a domestic industry (pasta, flour, malt, etc.) that we have all wanted to see flourish but have until now been stifled by the CWB. Licenses still leave that nawing feeling that someone can tell you what and when you can do something with your own property. It still has that Soviet feel to it.

No cost licenses would have been ok as an interim measure when the Conservatives only had a minority. Now, we can get the whole enchilada. An open market. Then you'll see irreversible commerce.

By the way, opt out provisions are bogus too. We just need a free and open market.