Oh Nooos! Smalldeadanimals

[gustgd]

http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/archives/oh-nooos.html#comments

[farmaholic]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Small Dead Animals (or SDA) is an award-winning Canadian blog, focusing largely on politics (Canadian, U.S., British and international) from a conservative perspective. Saskatchewan-based blogger Kate McMillan founded the blog and remains its primary contributor.[1]

[Hopalong]

About the state of National Farmers Union and decline in power and influence.
Might it mean similar drop in support for free market and trade enthusiasts like Western Canadian Wheat Growers?
Some WCGA support is reaction to NFU.
What is the response from those who constantly repeat the message that there is a conspiracy in the rest of the value chain to defraud farmers and suggest that we band together to restrict our own competition and production?
They should be lining up to support NFU philosophy and policy.

[gustgd]

Hopalong

The real power of the WheatGrowers is in influencing people. This recent press release from the Alberta wheat commission could have been written by us.

Alberta Wheat Commission calls for Reciprocal Penalties in Transportation Reforms

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Calgary, Alberta), December 18, 2014 – The Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC) says measures to improve railway accountability are needed to restore confidence in Canada’s grain transportation system.

In its preliminary recommendations to the Canada Transportation Act (CTA) Review Panel, AWC calls for the mandatory inclusion of reciprocal penalties in Service Level Agreements to ensure rail companies meet their service obligations or face immediate financial consequences.

“AWC has made a conscious decision to focus our lobbying efforts on this issue because we believe it is fundamental to the success of the review process,” says AWC Chair Kent Erickson. “We believe that reciprocal penalties will reduce the need for regulatory interventions and will provide meaningful, long-term solutions to the issues that grain transportation has historically faced.”

Without mandatory reciprocal penalties, Erickson says there is no reason for a shipper to attempt to conclude a Service Level Agreement.

“Railway tariffs impose set penalties on shippers if they fail to meet their contractual obligations, for example loading and unloading of cars within a specified time,” he says. “To ensure balance and equity in the supply chain, it is critical that penalties are also in place for railway non-performance.”

To be effective, AWC recommends that reciprocal penalties be accompanied by expanded powers for the Canadian Transportation Agency to ensure the agency has the ability to enforce adequate levels of service that meet the commercial needs of system users. The current definition of “adequate and suitable accommodation” in the Act is vague. AWC recommends the definition be amended to state that “a railway company shall fulfill its service obligations in a manner that meets the rail transportation needs of the shipper.”

AWC looks forward to its continued involvement in the CTA Review and to working with industry partners to ensure that the growing demand for quality Canadian products, as well as increased market access, is supported by a reliable and responsive rail transportation system.

The Alberta Wheat Commission is a producer-directed organization representing the interests of and serving as a single voice for all of Alberta’s 14,000 wheat producers.

www.albertawheat.com

Media Contact:
Victoria Russell
Communications and Events Coordinator
P. (403) 219-7906 C. (403) 813-6956
E. vrussell@albertawheat.com

[CptnObvious]

The drop in revenue in the NFU is the result of sabotage in Ontario, nothing more. Many international groups rely on the Canadian NFU for their insightful research.

[CptnObvious]

The AWC does well on motherhood issues, however penalties mean nothing if the bar is set so low that CN/CP can step over it even wearing hoodlum pants and the feds will not enforce fines anyway.
APAS and the Sask commissions had a more comprehensive report to the CTA which included oversight and arbitration.

[grassfarmer]

I wonder how appropriate or professional it is for an office bearer of a Western Canadian Agricultural Organisation to be posting such things - or did your Government masters tell you to?

[gustgd]

Gross farmer was that directed to me or captain obvious?
If it was directed to me and the Wheat Growers. Don't you read buckets posts

The Wheat Growers tell governments what to do not the other way around.

[gustgd]

Sorry meant Grassfarmer not gross farmer. Damn voice to text mistranslated

[Braveheart]

It was Freudian, no doubt.

[katoe]

Regarding statement that press release could have been written by wcwg members. I agree its largely the same people

[Braveheart]

Ah, it never ends. The Agri Left vs the Agri Right. It reminds of the old Get Smart TV series. CONTROL (WCWGA) vs KAOS (NFU).

(I have to get back to the cone of silence. Hopefully 99 is wearing something sexy.)