Some exerpts from Neville Nankivell's 2006.03.08, column in the Financial section of the National Post titled "Tories can free West of CWB monopoly":
EDITED QUOTES
"With the election of a minority Conservative government, there's some real hope now in Western Canada of ending the near-monopoly powers there of the Canadian Wheat Board. In his election campaign, Prime Minister Stephen Harper pledged to bring this about by making producer participation in the government-backed corporation voluntary." ........
"...............growing demands from large numbers of Prairie farmers ...opt out of the CWB ....."
"The federal Liberal government, whose footprint is all over the CWB, continually rebuffed these calls."
"It seems bizarre in Canada that certain farmers .... do not have the right to sell their produce freely on the open market..."
"Astonishingly, some Prairie farmers have actually been jailed for testing the CWB's monopoly by taking a few truckloads of wheat across the U.S. border, where they could get higher prices. They were charged in the mid-1990s under the Customs Act with exporting without a CWB licence. These convictions have since been either quashed or retrials ordered and 15 Saskatchewan farmers are now suing the federal government for "massive" abuse of power and "malicious" prosecution. Claiming damages of $2-million each, these farmers contend they were improperly charged. They allege the federal government knew at the time the charges were "bogus and unenforceable" but hurriedly amended customs regulations to close legal loopholes." .................
"The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association, a group that has long advocated free choice in marketing, recommends a two-stage approach."
"First would be to implement dual marketing through regulatory changes that would bring practices in the West in line with those of eastern farmers. (Ontario has a voluntary system for its wheat marketing board.) Under this proposal, the CWB would give farmers and private-sector grain companies export permits at no cost."..........
"The second stage would involve restructuring the CWB into a completely producer owned and controlled organization..............."
........."While so far the CWB has fended off these cases, it's inevitable there will be more challenges as new trade rules emerge and harder aim is taken at state-backed monopolies that have substantial pricing discretion and are insulated from commercial risks."
........"The minority Conservative government can expect opposition to these kinds of changes from the Liberals and NDP. But in the election the Conservatives had solid support in virtually all Western rural ridings. This gives Harper a mandate to go ahead.".............
............ "The well-respected and plucky Strahl, who didn't let a rare form of inoperable cancer keep him from standing for re-election.....said recently that a dual-marketing system would increase farmer options and the opportunity to maximize their returns."
" To keep his party's faith with western farmers, he should ready a grain-marketing reform package as soon as possible."
Parsley
EDITED QUOTES
"With the election of a minority Conservative government, there's some real hope now in Western Canada of ending the near-monopoly powers there of the Canadian Wheat Board. In his election campaign, Prime Minister Stephen Harper pledged to bring this about by making producer participation in the government-backed corporation voluntary." ........
"...............growing demands from large numbers of Prairie farmers ...opt out of the CWB ....."
"The federal Liberal government, whose footprint is all over the CWB, continually rebuffed these calls."
"It seems bizarre in Canada that certain farmers .... do not have the right to sell their produce freely on the open market..."
"Astonishingly, some Prairie farmers have actually been jailed for testing the CWB's monopoly by taking a few truckloads of wheat across the U.S. border, where they could get higher prices. They were charged in the mid-1990s under the Customs Act with exporting without a CWB licence. These convictions have since been either quashed or retrials ordered and 15 Saskatchewan farmers are now suing the federal government for "massive" abuse of power and "malicious" prosecution. Claiming damages of $2-million each, these farmers contend they were improperly charged. They allege the federal government knew at the time the charges were "bogus and unenforceable" but hurriedly amended customs regulations to close legal loopholes." .................
"The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association, a group that has long advocated free choice in marketing, recommends a two-stage approach."
"First would be to implement dual marketing through regulatory changes that would bring practices in the West in line with those of eastern farmers. (Ontario has a voluntary system for its wheat marketing board.) Under this proposal, the CWB would give farmers and private-sector grain companies export permits at no cost."..........
"The second stage would involve restructuring the CWB into a completely producer owned and controlled organization..............."
........."While so far the CWB has fended off these cases, it's inevitable there will be more challenges as new trade rules emerge and harder aim is taken at state-backed monopolies that have substantial pricing discretion and are insulated from commercial risks."
........"The minority Conservative government can expect opposition to these kinds of changes from the Liberals and NDP. But in the election the Conservatives had solid support in virtually all Western rural ridings. This gives Harper a mandate to go ahead.".............
............ "The well-respected and plucky Strahl, who didn't let a rare form of inoperable cancer keep him from standing for re-election.....said recently that a dual-marketing system would increase farmer options and the opportunity to maximize their returns."
" To keep his party's faith with western farmers, he should ready a grain-marketing reform package as soon as possible."
Parsley
Comment