Barry Wilson

OTTAWA – Barring an unlikely reversal in the next month, Canada is poised to win a major victory in its battle with the United States over whether the $6 billion supply management system can exist behind protective tariffs. An international trade panel last week informed Washington and Ottawa that it was prepared to rule 5-0 […] Read more

OTTAWA – In Washington last week, there was defiance rather than contrition over a trade disputes panel ruling in favor of Canada on an American challenge of Canadian supply management tariffs. A U.S. trade consultant and former free trade negotiator predicted the issue will become a factor in the autumn American elections. “Legally, I don’t […] Read more

OTTAWA – The campaign by Canada’s pasta makers for government protection from dumped and subsidized European pasta has grown more urgent. This summer, the U.S. government did what the Canadian International Trade Tribunal refused to do last May. It concluded imports of subsidized Italian pasta were hurting the U.S. industry and slapped import duties of […] Read more

OTTAWA – Food sector players nervous that the federal government might create restrictive new controls over the products of biotechnology can relax a little, government and industry representatives suggested last week. When Ottawa produces biotech rules, it will leave primary responsibility for new product testing and evaluating new products where it now resides – with […] Read more

OTTAWA – Canada’s railways last year recorded their first operating loss in three years, Statistics Canada has reported. The federal agency said that in 1995, the seven railway companies surveyed had a combined operating loss of $156 million, compared to profits of $803 million in 1994. Much of the reversal came because CN and CP […] Read more

OTTAWA – The federal government will be risking a revival of grain trade tensions with the United States if it implements some of the Western Grain Marketing Panel proposals, says a U.S. farm leader. Alan Bergman, president of the North Dakota Farmers Union, said last week proposals to take feed barley and unlicensed wheat varieties […] Read more

OTTAWA – When he next faces Parliament in mid-September, agriculture minister Ralph Goodale will face conflicting political advice on what to do about proposals for Canadian Wheat Board reform. Reform party MPs said last week they will demand the government act immediately to implement a more democratic board of directors and a removal of feed […] Read more

OTTAWA – The Reform party, which has made balanced budgets the centrepiece of its political arguments, operated in the red last year, according to political party fund-raising and spending figures compiled by Elections Canada. The federal agency reported last week that the Reform party raised $5.28 million last year. It spent more than $5.6 million, […] Read more

OTTAWA – The federal government risks destroying the Canadian Wheat Board if it does not accept as a minimum the proposals to democratize and reduce the board’s power, says the Reform party agriculture critic. Elwin Hermanson said last week proposals to reform the wheat board from the Western Grain Marketing Panel will not be enough […] Read more

OTTAWA – Maybe Goofy could sign the federal Crow Benefit buy-out cheques. Last week, there was a public suggestion from an RCMP spokesperson that Agriculture Canada is making inquiries about the benefits of the marketing deal between the nation’s federal police force and the Disney Corp. A year after Disney, the mythical home of Mickey […] Read more