On April 1, the Canadian Wheat Board will become subject to the federal access-to-information law and last week Conservatives were promoting the move as a poster child for the government’s “accountability” agenda.
Treasury Board president Vic Toews, a Manitoba MP, said expanding the reach of the information law makes the government “more open and transparent than ever” even as critics of the move insisted the board is not part of government and should not be subjected to the act.
“I’m particularly pleased to be part of a government that for the first time is increasing transparency within the wheat board,” he said at a Feb. 22 briefing. “Western grain farmers deserve the highest level of accountability and transparency from the wheat board. Opening it up to access-to-information is a critical step in ensuring that accountability and transparency.”
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Later that day during the House of Commons question period, Manitoba Conservative Merv Tweed raised the issue, arguing that farmers are forced to sell their grain to the board, “accept whatever returns the board gives, hope this money is spent wisely and returns are maximized.”
He gave agriculture minister Chuck Strahl a chance to promote the government move to make the board more accountable.
“I believe it is only right that farmers know how their money is being used,” responded the minister. “Administrative costs in that organization amount to $70 million a year. Farmers deserve the highest level of transparency on that.”
Strahl said that despite opposition from Liberals Ralph Goodale and Wayne Easter, “for the first time ever, farmers finally are going to get to know what is going on at the board.”
The CWB provisions were added to the Accountability Act last autumn over the objections of Liberals and New Democrats when the Bloc Québecois sided with the government.
Wheat board officials convinced the Senate to remove it, arguing that the board is not a government agency and board critics and competitors could use the access-to-information law to undermine it.
Board chair Ken Ritter told senators that the CWB already is transparent to farmers through its annual report, information services and country accountability meetings.
When the Senate sent the amended bill back to the House of Commons, the CWB was reinserted. This time, the Senate decided to leave it in the bill.
The government insists confidential commercial information held by the board will not be subject to information requests.
The board said dealing with information requests, searching for information and deciding what can be released will add a costly and time-consuming burden to operations.
