Manitoba’s NDP government remains opposed to the federal government’s plan to end the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly.
Nonetheless, the province’s approach has shifted from outright opposition to working with the federal government to limit the economic damage to Manitoba.
In the throne speech kicking off the 40th session of Manitoba’s legislative assembly, lt. gov. Philip Lee noted today that the province will send a community coalition to Ottawa to spread the message that the loss of the board’s single desk will have long-term consequences for Manitoba’s economy.
“We want to make crystal clear … to Ottawa what the economic impact is going to be, that our province is facing because of this decision,” provincial agriculture minister Stan Struthers said following the throne speech.
“The premier will lead a group of Manitobans who will go and press our case.”
The province said in a news release that more than 400 people are employed at the CWB’s head office in Winnipeg and the board supports 2,000 indirect jobs in the province.
The coalition and the provincial government is willing to co-operate with the federal government on finding ways to minimize the damage to Manitoba’s economy, Struthers said.
“If the federal government is open for looking at some of the solutions for some of the economic impacts, I think we should work with them to do that.”
Struthers didn’t know who or which organizations would participate in the Manitoba coalition.
However, he expects the group to take its case to Ottawa in the coming weeks.
“It will come together very quickly.”
