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DION, MEASNER DEFEND CWB AT REGINA MEETING Cathy Fischer February 26, 2007
A group of farmers concerned about losing the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) met in Regina February 24 to discuss action to save their single-desk marketing agency, currently under attack by the Harper government. The consensus among those present was that in order to achieve that end, to save the CWB, the Harper government would have to be defeated. The meeting of more than 40 farmers and other supporters of the CWB was initiated by a committee of farmers from Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Featured speaker was Adrian Measner, for 32 years an employee of the CWB and recently fired from his position as head of the agency by federal Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl. Liberal leader Stephan Dion, who was in Regina on a swing through Saskatchewan, dropped in to speak to the group.
Liberal Leader Dion was introduced to the gathering by Dave Orchard of Saskatoon, known for his work in opposing the FTA and NAFTA. Orchard described the CWB as one of the most vital institutes in western Canada.
In his remarks Dion emphasized that he was a strong supporter of the CWB. One of his first statements on being elected leader of the Liberal party had been that the future of the CWB must be left in the hands of farmers. The current balloting on the question of whether the sale of barley should remain with the Board was being conducted in a manner designed to give an illusion that the decision was up to farmers, but at the same time was an attack on the Board, Dion charged. With the wording of the ballot, Harper was also trying to leave farmers the impression they can have both a Canadian Wheat Board and an open market. “But everybody knows you can't have it both ways.'' Dion added that the fact of the struggle itself over the Board was having an effect on markets and costing farmers money; the numbering of the ballots used in the referendum was sewing suspicion that it was not a free vote and causing farmers to feel threatened; and the Harper government had placed a gag on the CWB with regard to the referendum while at the same time Strahl conducted a public campaign against it. The Harper minority government was limited to a degree in what it could do in its attack on the CWB, Dion stated, and asked, “What would they do if they had a majority government?”
Adrian Measner reviewed the actions of Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl, in particular with respect to the plebiscite on retaining barley under the control of the CWB, results of which are to be made known March 13. Strahl had used his position as minister in charge of the CWB to attack the very organization for which he is supposed to be responsible. He had put supporters of his position on the Board of Directors of the CWB. He had issued a gag order on the CWB while continuing himself to promote the open market concept, which would mean the end of the CWB. In his efforts to skew barley plebiscite results, he had issued ballots which three professional polsters, Innovation Research, Ipsos Reid, and Probe Research said were biased and confusing. He had made last minute changes to the CWB election voters list without consulting the CWB. Strahl had used numbered ballots, violating a most important principle of democracy.
The CWB is an organization with integrity and strong principles, Measner continued. It is committed to it farmer members; it respects the right of farmers to determine where they want to head with their grain marketing agent; it adds value to the farming industry; it gives farmers a strong voice in issues such as trade, transportation and market concentration; it brings to farmers the benefits of strong Canadian company representing their interests.
In defending the Canadian Wheat Board, Measner declared, the choice farmers are making “is one of either being controlled by a handful of very large companies who are very successful for their shareholders-- but that is not you – or maintaining control yourself and reaping the benefits directly.”
Pointing out that all three opposition leaders in parliament had said they would block any attempts to make changes to the CWB unless farmers had clearly said with a fair process that they wanted that change, Measner added, “This process is anything but fair and they know it. The only way that changes can be made to the CWB is through a change in the CWB Act. The government needs to be held to that commitment. But don’t underestimate the resolve of the Harper government.” Repeating that decisions regarding the CWB must be made by farmers not by a hostile government, Measner declared western Canadian farmers have a tremendous opportunity to take the role of the quality grain supplier to the world, to a new level. “You need to have the structure in place to keep that value in your pocket and not give it to a multi billion dollar corporation. The CWB is integral to ensure that happens.”
Three CWB Board members and a former CWB Board member attended the Regina meet. Also present were representatives of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour and the Grain Services Union, both of which organizations expressed support for the campaign to save the CWB. It was noted that the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce had also indicated its support.
A draft plan calling for unity and action was presented for consideration. The introduction to the plan stated, in part, as follows:
The barley plebiscite ends on March 13 amidst widespread uncertainty about the future of the CWB and orderly marketing in western Canada. Skewed questions, secret voters lists, absence of a properly supervised count, secret ballot irregularities and other problems mean the vote, while vulnerable to overturn by challenge, may well be lost. The CWB Board of Directors remains sharply divided over other important questions because of Strahl’s puppet board members, with pro-Board members standing up stoutly against government efforts to destroy the single desk. Opposition parties have come out strongly in favour of the CWB’s current powers but appear unwilling to defeat the Tories on this as an election issue.
It was generally agreed that the current efforts by various farm groups to have letters sent to the government, and petitions signed supporting the CWB, while effective to a degree, would have to be expanded. The Harper government has consistently demonstrated its intent to destroy the CWB, and some ‘high profile’ action was required to demonstrate the value of the Board to the country. As well as uniting the various farm organizations around the fight for the CWB it was necessary to win the support of business and municipal organizations. It was necessary to demonstrate how destroying the livelihood of prairie farmers reacted on the local economy. If the campaign to save the CWB is not successful, the fate of prairie farmers will be turned over to two or three huge agribusiness transnationals.
A major point made at the gathering was that, where Canadian farmers are concerned, it was not just the Canadian Wheat Board that was being attacked. The CWB impact is basically on western farmers who produce wheat and barley, but the Harper government also has in its sites, as its next target, the stronger, and even more protective of its members, supply-management system of Canadian farmers for dairy products, eggs and poultry. Agriculture minister Strahl has tried to reassure supply-management producers that their interests are secure and they appear to be buying it.
It was emphasized that those at the meeting were not there to set up an organization, but to organize a campaign that would take in all who support the CWB. The discussion resulted in election of a committee to undertake to work with other farm groups with the intent of organizing a major rally; beginning a series of meetings to educate farmers and others with respect to the significance of the Canadian Wheat Board and how its loss would affect them; and to carry that education program to farmers in eastern Canada with respect to the danger to their supply-management operations. The committee was equally representative of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and it was agreed that farmers from Alberta should be added.
In moving final remarks, Fred Tait, who farms at Rossendale, Manitoba, reminded those present that there are farmer producers on one side and consumers on the other, with the corporations in the middle ‘extracting the wealth that we produce.’ The farm economy serves the needs of our communities, and the CWB has been an instrument that mitigated that ‘extraction.’ “We can’t let Harper take that away.” In a reference to the struggle of the farmers all during the last century against exploitation by the corporations, Tait concluded “We don’t want to have to do the fight again.”
For further information, or to become involved in the fight to save the Canadian Wheat Board, check out the campaign’s website at www.SavemyCWB.ca.
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