We are not alone

[wilagro]

CWB supporters, we are not alone. Farmers from across the prairies have banded together to counter the "New Government of Canada" policy of killing the CWB.

The website:

http://www.realvoiceforchoice.ca/

leaves no doubt that there are many farmers who see the advantage in the "single desk' CWB working on behalf of prairie producers.

Check it out...they need our support.

[Incognito]

Landowners question CWB role in oil-for-food
By WES KELLER

The Canadian Wheat Board (CWB), responsible for all sales of Canadian wheat and barley, appears to have become the latest blip on the radar of the Ontario Landowners Association.

The board is the marketing agency for over 75,000 farmers who grow wheat, durum wheat and barley in Western Canada. It prides itself on being able to "market these grains for the best possible price both within Canada and around the world.

Sales revenues earned, less marketing costs, are passed back to western Canadian farmers," it says on its website.

The OLA has close to 100 members in Dufferin County via their affiliation through the Dufferin Landowners Association, co-chaired by Ron Dillman, the new mayor of Melancthon.

In a current news release, OLA President Randy Hillier quotes the Sydney [Australia] Morning News as saying Canada's involvement in a $10-billion UNsponsored oil-for-food program is "a mystery."

It might not always be so. "A little known fact regarding the new 'accountability act' passed by the Harper government: until now the inner workings and operations of the CWB were beyond the freedom of information act. Under the new act, It now has to divulge information that was previously kept secret should someone ask," says Mr. Hillier.

"Canada has been making news in Australia in the country's oil-for-food inquiry, notes the Western Standard, but no one seems to be paying attention in Canada.

"Even though it's for something as meaningful as our role in an Australian inquiry into the UN oil-forfood scandal, Canadian newspaper editors have yet to pay it any mind.

Then again, Canada's role in the $10-billion scandal remains shrouded. Says David Marr, a reporter covering the inquiry for Sydney's Morning Herald: 'Canada is turning out to be a mystery.' "

Since January, says Mr. Hillier, Australia's newspapers have been dominated by its Cole inquiry into that country's part in the "historic scandal."

Wikipedia describes the scandal thus: "The Oil-for- Food Program, established by the United Nations in 1995 and terminated in late 2003, was intended to allow Iraq to sell oil on the world market in exchange for food, medicine, and other humanitarian needs for ordinary Iraqi citizens without allowing Iraq to rebuild its military.

"The program was introduced in 1995, as a response to arguments that ordinary Iraqi citizens were inordinately affected by the international economic sanctions aimed at the demilitarisation of Saddam Hussein's Iraq, imposed in the wake of the first Gulf War.

The sanctions were discontinued in 2003 after the United States invasion of Iraq, and the humanitarian functions turned over to the Coalition Provisional Authority.

As the program ended, there were revelations of corruption involving the funds."

Now, says Mr. Hillier, "questions are emerging about Canada's role - in particular, the involvement of the Canadian Wheat Board. UN investigations discovered that the Australian Wheat Board paid $221 million in illegal kickbacks to Saddam Hussein, beginning in 1999.

"The AWB became the largest supplier of humanitarian aid to Iraq during the oil-for-food program, shipping over $2-billion worth of wheat.

"As the Cole inquiry has confirmed, it was Canadian officials who first complained to the UN about improper dealings in the Iraqi export market.

Despite Ottawa's complaints, the UN did nothing to head off the growing theft.

"Therein," wrote Mr. Marr, "lies the mystery. Here you have a system that was still bedding itself down and ultimately over the next three or four years going to net Saddam $600 million.

"The Canadians are onto it at once. Their information is perfect, absolutely correct information, and the complaint fizzles out."

Meanwhile, notes the Western Standard, Canada continued to sell wheat to Iraq. Canadian Wheat Board tables show 262,000 tonnes of Canadian wheat were sold to Iraq in the crop year 1999- 2000. Another 310,000 tonnes went to Hussein in crop year 2000-2001. Some of the shipments were rejected due to "contamination." The Cole inquiry has found that the Iraqis used such claims to charge extra fees to the AWB.

But since Canada is one of the few nations linked to oilfor food that has yet to call its own inquiry, the reasons for rejecting the Canadian shipments remain undetermined.

And Mr. Hillier says no one knows if there's still more to the CWB's role in oil-for-food.

[parsley]

They will be working hard to organize a petition-vote for farmers and especially since they represent the REAL REAL voice of choice.

Most likely, the realvoiceforchoice ballot was designed by Stephane Dion's advisor, David Orchard, so farmers can have an honest vote and won't get tricked.

Sh. Sh. Here's a pre-vote peek, but don't tell:

_______________________________________
Mark your real choice with an XXX. Only make ONE selection.

Who should market grain for prairie farmers?

____(1) The Canadian Wheat Board run by Government should market my grain.

____(2) The Government-run Canadian Wheat Board should market my grain.

____(3) The Canadian Government's Wheat Board should market my grain


Official Election results will be posted on the CWB's website under accredited exporter Eagle Sterling Co. Limited

[SASKFARMER3]

Yea the liberals really helped western farmers.
GIVE ME A BREAK!


News update. BY CBC

The meeting of Cwb supporters drew a huge crowd. All three of the men voiced their opinions but Then decided to study the idea more and set up a committee.
Sounds like a liberal walks like a liberal must be a liberal.

[winwin]

Why should there be any vote?The wheat board came in with no vote.Everyone loves the cwb.No votes for 63 years on wheat.If president Castro ever had to face a vote he would win with over 100%.Our side believes voting is not needed,an unneccessary distraction.Divisive.Everything was perfect without it for years,all crops should be under the cwb.

[Braveheart]

We are not alone . . . quick, call Mulder and Scully! If anything belongs in the X-Files, it's the CWB.

[Braveheart]

winwin, what's like living in lala land??

[Braveheart]

Winwin, your tongue is firmly in your cheek, just don't bite it.

[wilagro]

What a bunch of jokers you ANTI-CWBers are. Time will tell...the vote is still on schedule as far as I know.

I know how I will vote.

[parsley]

wilagrow, you will vote for the old CWB system that shifts the powers from the individual judgement of free citizens,... to Government.

And then you have the force of Government.

That's your ideology.
Government. Force. Jail.

Parsley

[parsley]

Wilagro I'm happy you have found some like minded friends.You guys can enjoy your optional CWB2 and Enjoy the windfall of all the lucrative markets like Algeria and Morocco.

[kamichel]

I vote for CWB monopoly supporters to have to sell all their wheat and barley through the board. And anyone that votes for open market access must sell everything to open market. CWB supporters can still have their monopoly and the other farmers can still have their way. The size of the amount of open market voters should not be denied the open market.

[kamichel]

Wilagro if all crops were under CWB control then we would have no domestic processing. Then I suppose we should have kept the crow so that we can export everything for below cost of production also.

[agstar77]

I must agree with Parsley the CWB is government control now that Minister Strahl is running it by Order in Council. Individuals farmers have lost control of the CWB.

[kamichel]

Just a reminder to the CWB supporters. This is a vote on barley monopoly, not really on the existence of the CWB. Just thought I should mention that because the locals here that support the CWB monopoly on barley think that it is a vote on the existence of the CWB and the world as we know it.