Ritz's speech today

[Fransisco]

You know folks, when it comes to some important questions in life; I believe everyone has three choices:

Lead, Follow, or Get out of the way…

Barley freedom for Western Canadian farmers is that kind of fundamental question. And by joining us today, you’re all sending a loud and clear message that you folks are willing to lead the way to barley marketing freedom. As you know, Prime Minister Harper is delivering the same kind of strong leadership for barley marketing freedom and other priorities that are important to you. Last night, this Government put that leadership into action and I’m proud to announce we put strong legislation on the order paper to deliver barley marketing freedom to Western Canadian producers.

That means that this bill will be tabled in the House of Commons next week. When passed, this legislation will finally and formally give you the freedom to choose how to market your own barley. It’s a fundamental freedom you’ve been denied too long. It’s a freedom farmers in other parts of Canada take for granted. It’s a freedom you deserve and a freedom you need to make management decisions in your own best interest. And this Government is working hard to give you that freedom. As a Western Canadian farm kid myself, I’m proud of the leadership we’re getting from Prime Minster Harper. It’s refreshing leadership after years of Liberal dithering. This Government is listening to the sixty-two per cent of Western Canadian barley producers who voted in favour of barley marketing freedom.

This Government is listening to key producers groups such as:

Western Barley Growers Association;

Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association;

Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses;

Grain Growers of Canada;

Alberta Barley Commission;

Grain Vision;

Market Choice Alliance;

Prairie West Terminal Ltd;

Western Grain Elevators Association;

Canadian Chamber of Commerce; and,

The Governments of B.C., Alberta, and Saskatchewan.

Barley marketing freedom is coming and it’s time to lead, follow or get out of the way. And this Government is leading the way to barley marketing freedom.

We believe Western Canadian barley producers are just as smart as producers in the rest of the country. And we believe farmers themselves are the best ones to make their own marketing decisions. In fact, you’re already making those marketing decisions when they sell crops such as canola and lentils to buyers around the world. Unfortunately, the Liberals and NDP think Western Canadian farmers were too dumb to understand the plebiscite question the first time. If Liberals or NDP or anyone else has trouble understanding that question, my grandson can help them sound out the big words. Western Canadian farmers made their demand for barley marketing freedom loud and clear and we’re working hard to deliver on that action.

For years the Canadian Wheat Board has shackled Western Canadian barley producers to its monopoly. The Board claims it’s so much smarter than Western Canadian farmers that they shouldn’t even have a choice about where to market their barley. The Board claims all kinds of marketing expertise, but worries producers won’t work with them without the shackles of the monopoly. Those claims are ridiculous.

Western Canadian farmers are smart enough to make their own marketing decisions. And if the Board is as effective as it claims, they’ll have no problem attracting business. The amazing part is that the Board itself acknowledges that the status quo isn’t good enough, but it won’t do anything to change. Since becoming Agriculture Minister, I gave the Board every opportunity to help lead the change it knows is coming. The Board did nothing. I gave the Board every opportunity to follow by asking it to give producers more freedom through: reduced buy-backs, easier access to export permits, and, steps toward full freedom such as a continental market. Again, the Board did nothing.

In fact, the Board now refuses to even discuss working toward the change Western Canadian barley producers are demanding. If the Board isn’t going to lead or follow, it better get out of the way. And by tabling this legislation next week, we will clear the way for barley marketing freedom. It’s important to remember there are some Board members who are committed to change. Those Board members need your help this coming fall and you need to send more voices for change to the table in the next round of director elections.

Ladies and Gentlemen; this legislation is a huge step forward, but we’re not out of the woods yet. There’s still a lot of work to do. And I need your help. All of the opposition parties continue to oppose barley marketing freedom for Western Canadian farmers. You know what’s amazing about that stubborn opposition? Only a tiny fraction of opposition members even represent anyone in the Wheat Board area. Out of the sixty-five seats in the Wheat Board area, pro-freedom Government MPs won fifty-seven. None of the opposition critics who love to rail against barley marketing freedom are willing to shackle their own constituents to the Board monopoly. But opposition members still have a responsibility to represent all Canadians fairly and equally.

We need you folks to lead the way and remind these opposition parties that you deserve the same freedom opposition critics give their own constituents. Folks this is very simple, the only thing between Western Canadian producers and barley marketing freedom is the opposition. The opposition won’t lead and they won’t follow, so they need to get out of the way.

I’ll be honest with you folks, those of us in the Government have been working hard at getting opposition members out of the way and we’ve weeded almost all of them out of Western Canada. But we’re going to need your help on this. And I’m going to be very honest with you. If folks like you don’t raise your voices and let these opposition members know you’re not taking no for an answer, Western Canadian barley producers are going to remain shackled to the Board monopoly. The NDP and the Liberals aren’t going to change their minds unless folks like you spur them along. But I believe in Western Canadian farmers and I believe you folks are going to crank up the fight for the barley marketing freedom you deserve. It’s not good enough to complain about the Board’s monopoly in the coffee shop, you have to go out and take that freedom. And you’ve got to take that fight to the opposition.

Guys like Wayne Easter, Ralph Goodale, Pat Martin and Alex Atamanenko shouldn’t be able to pick up the phone without having an angry Western Canadian farmer on the other end demanding they support this barley marketing freedom legislation. They shouldn’t be able to check their fax machines or mail boxes without reading messages from angry Western Canadian farmers demanding barley marketing freedom. And they shouldn’t be able to open a newspaper without reading letters to the editor demanding they get off the fence and support barley marketing freedom.

Folks, democracy depends on you and you’ll get exactly the amount of change you’re willing to work for. Representative democracies like Canada are only as strong as the people who take part. I’m going to work as hard as I can to make sure this legislation passes and I’m counting on you to help this Government deliver barley marketing freedom.

Ladies and Gentlemen; barley marketing freedom is coming to Western Canada. It’s time for everyone to realize it’s time to: Lead, Follow, Or get out of the way.

-Gerry Ritz-

[Fransisco]

CWB response:

CWB’s future must be left in hands of producers

February 29, 2008

Winnipeg – Farmers must be the ones to decide the future of the CWB, through proper processes that recognize the legitimacy of their democratically elected representatives, CWB board chair Ken Ritter said today.

Ritter was responding to an announcement today by the Hon. Gerry Ritz, Minister for the CWB, that he will introduce legislation into Parliament to remove barley from the CWB’s single-desk marketing system.

“We oppose this legislation because of the very important principle at stake – that farmers are supposed to control and direct their grain-marketing organization,” said Ritter, who farms near Kindersley, Saskatchewan. “Major legislative changes to the Canadian Wheat Board Act in 1998 were specifically carried out to give farmers this control through creation of a farmer-elected board of directors and other provisions.”

Ritter said the government’s actions circumvent a process put in place to give grain producers the final say over their own marketing system. Under the Act, changes to the CWB’s single-desk authority can be legislated only after the Minister has consulted with the CWB board of directors and held a valid referendum among producers.

“We have not been consulted on this legislation. Besides contravening the Act, this also raises concerns about respect for the democratic process and recognition of elected directors as the legitimate representatives of farmers.”

In addition, Ritter said the plebiscite held last year by the federal government cannot constitute a valid referendum. The Minister at the time stated that it was not binding. Problems with the plebiscite, including a controversial three-pronged question and questions about the voters’ list, also undermine the validity of its results.

“It was not a proper referendum by any measuring stick,” he said. In the 2007 CWB producer survey, 90 per cent of producers agreed that they, not government, should make any decisions to end the single desk. “If the government is truly interested in consulting producers, it will hold a binding referendum with a clear and simple question before tabling the legislation.”

Ritter said the introduction of legislation continues a second straight year of uncertainty in for barley marketing. “Farmers want to get on with their business, they want this to end,” Ritter said. “We need to respond to their wishes in a responsible way and get on with the business of marketing barley for maximum farmer return.”

The CWB will review the legislation when it is tabled next week to assess the extent it erodes farmer control. A court challenge of the federal government’s attempted regulatory changes to barley marketing was initiated by the CWB last year to uphold the same principle of farmer control, Ritter added. On February 26, the federal court of appeal upheld a July 31, 2007 federal court ruling that agreed with the CWB’s interpretation of the law pertaining to barley marketing and farmer control.

Controlled by western Canadian farmers, the CWB is the largest wheat and barley marketer in the world. One of Canada's biggest exporters, the Winnipeg-based organization sells grain to over 70 countries and returns all sales revenue, less marketing costs, to farmers.

[Fransisco]

Have at 'er folks!

[Fransisco]

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the board claim in the court cases that the government had to make changes by legislation not regulation.

[Fransisco]

will wait till I thaw out, reading what the CWB line of bs is now, just makes me want to puke.
Todays rally saw a strong contingent of young producers that know a progressive posperous future is marketing freedom.
They went head to head with the handfull of NFU'ers and FCWB. Refressing to see, and yes caused some strong words to be passed between participants.
Just goes to show that the future of farming in western Canada lays in the hands of interprising producers that know that with out change and choice marketing , they won't have a future.
Good luck CWB, just try to fight this legislation !!
Erik

[Fransisco]

If this video is any indication, the boards chance's are somewhere between slim and none.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME6bSd2bKU0&eurl=http://www.dustmybroom.com/

[just_wondering]

My favorite line of the day was when a couple of good young guys asked an old(85 ) NFU type.
"how relevant this all is to them as they don't farm anymore, and will likely be dead in <5 yrs anyways"
Not quite the real quote but that was the gist of it.
It was alot less tact than what I would have used but I did snicker.
Also saw Vader do an interview in where he was describing himself as a farmer and a tall lanky choice guy was in the back ground pointing out that he was also a Liberal candidate.

I never even talked to the bad guys other than Vader and Agstar, even then it was not mean
I don't get people trying to change others minds at these things,it's not like it's ever happened.
All in all other than freezing my nads off it was a great day for FREEDOM!

[AdamSmith]

Malt barley is more than a bottle of Molson: Canadian Wheat Board takes to podium
Posted: February 29, 2008, 5:49 PM by Karen Hawthorne
Canada, Alberta election, Kevin Libin

The federal agriculture minister, Gerry Ritz, marched onto the steps of the Saskatchewan legislature today to announce that his government will table a bill next week that will let western producers of malt barley opt out of the Canadian Wheat Board and sell their grains privately, just like their peers in the rest of the country do now. You can read my column today to get some background on what this is all about, how we came to this point, and why this issue actually matters even to the 99.999% of voters in this country whose primary contact with malt barley comes from a Molson bottle, not a tractor. In short, this is a promise the Tories have bound themselves to, including in their throne speech. Says Mr. Ritz: "This bill will deliver on our Throne Speech commitment and will bring barley marketing freedom to the strong and growing majority of producers who are demanding it."

And Prime Minister Stephen Harper has indicated that once the Liberals passed the Throne Speech, he would consider all of the promises he made there as part of his “mandate to govern”— leaving some observers wondering if he’ll make good on that vow, and make this a confidence vote, since all three opposition parties have promised to oppose any changes.

The choice of venue is a significant one: The Saskatchewan government had until recently been a reliable ally of the Wheat Board in the fight to stop farmers from having a choice in marketing their grains. Recently elected premier Brad Wall changed that, and now supports the marketing choice cause, meaning two out of the three provinces controlled by the board now support ending the CWB’s marketing monopoly, not to mention the majority of farmers who voted in last year’s plebiscite.

The Canadian Wheat Board may be a creature of federal legislation, but it has become the government’s biggest opponent in this battle. It issued a news release today renouncing the proposed law, insisting that it should be farmers, alone, who decide what happens to the board. That’s an interesting position and could lead to some complicated lawmaking if it becomes a precedent (I can’t imagine most Canadians would be comfortable with just teachers determining their province’s education policy or CEOs given sole power to write federal industrial policy). It’s also curious, since it was the CWB that successfully challenged the government in court claiming that any changes to the board couldn’t be done through regulation alone, as the Tories had first attempted to do, since the Board answered to Parliament not the cabinet. But then, that was earlier this week. This is now.

[AdamSmith]

I'm not sure which thought gives me more pleasure,

barley becoming a real open market cash crop,

or having a federal election about "Barley".

and listening to Dion and Goodale explain to Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver why they couldn't allow the Tories to give western farmers marketing freedom for barley. And listening to the MSM try to explain it to them.

I'd bet anyone a fin ($5) that once Montrealers, Torontonians and Vancouverites become aware of the issue they would support marketing choice for their fellow Canadians and would punish the Libs BIG TIME for forcing an election because of it.

It might even be worth being stuck in the barley(and wheat) marketing abyss for a few extra months, just to witness the spectacle of it all.

[freewheat]

Exactly Adam! This is long overdue, and watching a gneral election occur, due to a CWB free market issue would sure make the debates an interesting spectacle. I don't think the libs would go so far as generate an election on this issue. Do you? I hope so.

[per]

Every city guy I explain this to wonders why we can't sell to whomever we want. Even the Libs and NDPs. I agree, an election on the Barley question- Bring it on.

[agstar77]

The bill will either die on the order paper or end up dead after an election call. You really think the neo-cons want to try to explain to easterners why they forced an election over Beer? We want an election so livestock producers can have cheaper feed and Canadians can have cheaper beer?

[rbgordon]

An election over the barley issue, what great entertainment that will provide, just hope the vote is not during seeding as this is going to be fun to watch. D'yawn and Taliban Jack will have a hard time stating their case to Eastern Canada, the west has already tuned them out. How can these two clowns debate intelligently on the subject, my guess is they don't know the difference between a bushel of barley and a bale of hay. All they have shown up to now is blind support for an archaic institution that has long past its usefulness, if it ever was useful.

[stubblejumper]

The CWB debate was never an issue in the last election. Coserative members were elected in western canada to kick out the liberals or because conservatives were always elected. By making it an issue Mr's Ritz and Anderson may find out where the 14% of producers who want no CWB live.

[jensend]

i doubt anybody east of manitoba would give a rip about wheat and barley marketing in western canada. an election issue it ain't. how much do you care about the fishing industry in atlantic canada?