Here we go again.... on the subject of the Canadian Wheat Board. As Ottawa and the new Parliament settle in, Bill-C-300 is rapidly focusing the attentions of farmers across Canada.
Keeping us all up to date is Wendy Holm on her website:
http://.www.theholmteam.ca/CWB.html
Juicy items to watch for include the latest from the Hansard re questions in the House and the latest meeting of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food. Also on the menu are letters from farm organizations as they spread the alarm far and wide. Rural Conservative MP's and the Minister need to take note. This issue strikes to the very core of the strongly held beliefs about the need for market power for farmers, as they battle to swim against the likes of enormous multinationals. -cg
39th PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION
EDITED HANSARD • NUMBER 052
CONTENTS
Monday, September 25, 2006
ORAL QUESTIONS
Canadian Wheat Board
Mr. Alex Atamanenko (British Columbia Southern Interior, NDP): Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Wheat Board is under attack. The minister has begun the systematic destruction of an internationally recognized Canadian success story. His parliamentary secretary has already told farmers it is their right to have a vote, but “the final decision will be made by the minister”. The legislation clearly states that changes to the structure of the Board must be approved by the farmers.
Will the minister allow the 85,000 farmers, who use the Wheat Board, to vote on its future, or does he intend to break the law?
Hon. Chuck Strahl (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, CPC): Mr. Speaker, this is an exciting time for prairie farmers who know they have a government on this side of the House that finally believes they should maximize their returns and maximize their choice.
We are moving ahead, as promised during the election campaign. We are moving ahead with consultations with farmers. I appointed a task force last week that will give us some of the technical details on what a voluntary but strong Wheat Board will look like going forward. I look forward to the report in a month or so.
We will continue to make changes to ensure that farmers get the most they can from their production.
Mr. Alex Atamanenko (British Columbia Southern Interior, NDP): Mr. Speaker, the NDP has uncovered documents that prove this so-called support is nothing more than professional spin doctors from the disgraced Devine government posing as farmers.
In this email, from Charlton Communications to three anti-Wheat Board lobby groups, it says that having farmers sign letters they write would “get us into the propaganda game”. The email was also copied to a current member of the minister's Wheat Board killing task force.
Is the minister aware of this campaign? Is his department paying for it? What is he going to do to stop it?
Hon. Chuck Strahl (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I do not have the faintest idea what the hon. member is talking about. It is not the first time that I do not have the faintest idea what members of the NDP are talking about. However, in this case, I really do not know to which campaign the hon. member is referring.
I do know that farmers from coast to coast, particularly on the prairies on this issue, have said that they want to receive more value from their farms and they want to have more choice.
Maximizing the choice and maximizing return for farmers comes about in part by having a voluntary marketing choice Wheat Board, something that farmers can choose to use, but are not compelled to use.
39th PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION
EDITED HANSARD • NUMBER 054
CONTENTS
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
ORAL QUESTIONS
Agriculture
Hon. Wayne Easter (Malpeque, Lib.): On Monday, Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food attempted to deny knowledge of a fake letter-writing propaganda campaign on behalf of government and government MPs for the purpose of undermining the Canadian Wheat Board.
Will the minister come clean today and inform the House of which government MPs and officials and whether he or his parliamentary secretary were involved in this blatant and unscrupulous effort to manipulate public opinion and, in the process, violate the laws of Canada?
Hon. Chuck Strahl (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, CPC): Mr. Speaker, it is good to see the member for Malpeque up on his hind legs talking about agriculture, sort of.
As I told the member the other day, no one on this side of the House has a clue what they are talking about over there. No one over here has ever approached any company to write letters.
Farmers are able to get their point across to governments and members of Parliament. I encourage them to do that. Farmers do not need a consultant to do that.
On this side of the House we are listening. Farmers can be assured after 13 years of being ignored that this side of the House is paying attention to what they are saying.
Hon. Wayne Easter (Malpeque, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, grain producers will not be impressed by that answer.
My question is for the acting prime minister. This minister, adding to yesterday's $20 million cut, is proposing to undermine the Wheat Board which will reduce collectively western grain incomes by $265 million a year. It is another attack on Canadian farmers.
Worse is using fake letters, manipulating the media, stacked government task forces and circumventing the laws of Canada. Is this the Prime Minister's definition of ethics and democracy?
Hon. Chuck Strahl (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I am surprised the member could say that without wearing his tinfoil hat on a grassy knoll.
What we do know is that this government has not cut $20 million. The government has added $1.5 billion to the agriculture department.
The government continues to work with farmers to make sure the programming that was brought in by the Liberal government, such as an improperly brought in CAIS program, lack of a green cover crop program, lack of facilities for farmers from coast to coast in science and technology; after 13 years of neglect, finally this side of the House, this new government is getting the job done for farmers, notwithstanding the scare tactics of the member opposite.
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