Adrian Measner, in line for a second three-year appointment as head of the Canadian Wheat Board, used a feisty appearance before a House of Commons committee Nov. 21 to state that a large majority of prairie farmers support the board and that the board will start buying a fleet of grain rail cars early next year with farmer money.
He defended himself against Conservative accusations that the board is spending too much farmer money on Liberal-connected lobbyists with the goal of ingratiating itself to the Liberal government.
Measner said with serious issues of government support and World Trade Organization rules at play, the board has decided to pay more attention to Ottawa lobbying.
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One result is that on Nov. 22, the government announced it agreed with the board and many farm groups that CWB initial prices will be increased. At press time, the amount of the increase was not known.
“We have enhanced our government relations,” Measner said.
When asked by Quebec Liberal David Smith how many prairie farmers the CWB represents and how many support it, Measner said CWB surveys suggest three-quarters of farmers support it.
“Rubbish,” replied Saskatchewan Conservative and wheat board monopoly critic David Anderson.
He suggested that by hiring Liberal-connected Ottawa lobbyists and senior Liberal campaign organizer David Herle as advisers, the wheat board is going too far into the Liberal camp.
Anderson said prairie farmers are split 50-50 on the wheat board and Measner’s numbers are fiction.
At the end of a 45 minute committee grilling, MPs decided to take no further action on the government proposal to reappoint him for a second three-year term as CWB president and chief executive officer.
MPs also decided not to raise questions about the government’s decision to reappoint John Ryan as president of Farm Credit Canada.
Measner said that early in 2006, the wheat board will begin to exercise its option to start buying 1,600 grain rail cars it has been leasing with a right to purchase.
And although the board supports and contributes money to the farmer rail car coalition trying to buy the government grain rail car fleet, Measner said there is not a conflict.
The board will manage its cars and the FRCC will manage its fleet.
“It is all farmers and I expect they would co-operate.”
Measner used his appearance to take a shot at the Conservatives who have vowed that if they win the next election, the wheat board monopoly will end.
He said a concern for the board is that the United States and European Union are using world trade talks to try to end the wheat board’s export monopoly.
“It is unacceptable that a foreign government or even a domestic government should take away farmers’ right to market through a single desk,” he told MPs.
Anderson responded that farmers have not voted to join the monopoly single desk. They are required by law to live under it.
Measner said wheat board elections consistently return a strong majority of pro-monopoly directors.
