Bill Gehl was happy with last week’s lobby on Parliament Hill to convince senators to slow down the rush to end the Canadian Wheat Board’s single desk.
“I think it has been a tremendously successful,” the CWB supporter said from his Regina farm.
“We met many senators and told them we need an opportunity to get our story across, our first chance to get the farmer story across.”
With Bill C-18 being rushed through the House of Commons after just seven hours of public hearings and one hour reserved for CWB supporters, the farmers are hoping the Senate holds extensive public hearings.
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“I think they got the message, and I was pleasantly surprised at the level of knowledge senators had on the issue,” he said.
The farmers will be back in Ottawa this week as debate winds down in the Commons and begins in the Senate.
However, it is far from clear that the Conservative majority in the Senate is in any mood to slow down passage of the legislation.
Saskatchewan Conservative senator Dave Tkachuk said he met some of the visiting farmers and agreed public hearings are necessary.
Still, the Conservative intent is to pass the bill quickly before Parliament adjourns in mid-December if possible, he said.
“They will get a good hearing at committee, but in the end, we’re going to pass this bill,” said Tkachuk.
“I think it will be good for the Prairies. I think it will bring more processing to the Prairies and change the way farmers do business for the better.”
Conservative fast track
Saskatchewan Liberal Bob Peterson, who will lead the opposition fight, said he expects the Conservative majority to try to rush the bill through before Dec. 6, when the issue of the legality of Bill C-18 is to go to court in Winnipeg.
“They have the numbers so they can do this,” he said.
“Their level of arrogance is such that they think they can do anything. They’ll get their way, so why do they need to kick sand in our faces and bully us?”
Senate skirmishing began last week when Manitoba Conservative Don Plett proposed that the Senate agriculture committee begin hearings even before the bill arrives from the House.
However, the Conservatives voted down the idea when the Liberals said they would support an early start to agriculture committee hearings only if the committee held prairie hearings.
The first witness expected this week is agriculture minister Gerry Ritz.
The issue also figured prominently in the Senate question period last week, often with acknowledgement of the visiting farmers.
“I have met with dozens of farmers on this matter here in Ottawa, and my office has received hundreds of e-mails and faxes from across the country from people who do not feel this is the right thing to do for Canad a,” said Liberal senator Frank Mahovlich.
“Since a clear majority of farmers want to keep the Canadian Wheat Board in place, why is the Canadian government so intent on going against their wishes by destroying it?”
Government Senate leader Marjory LeBreton said the CWB is not being destroyed but reformed away from the monopoly.
“I would say if you were to ask most of those western farmers about the adage, ‘if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it,’ the majority of them would say, ‘it is broken, please fix it.’ ”
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