SASKATOON – Alberta farmers may soon have a chance to vote on the future of the Canadian Wheat Board.
The provincial legislature last week unanimously passed a private member’s motion calling on the government to negotiate with Ottawa for a dual marketing system, provided the province’s farmers first approve the idea in a plebiscite.
While the resolution doesn’t specifically direct the government to hold such a vote, the Conservative backbencher who introduced it is confident that will be the eventual outcome.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that, since it passed unanimously, that the government will end up holding a plebiscite in Alberta,” said Ron Hierath (Taber-Warner).
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Alberta agriculture minister Walter Paszkowski was travelling in his constituency most of last week and could not be reached for comment on the government’s intentions.
Hierath said as far as he’s concerned, the only question is whether to squeeze the vote in before spring seeding or wait until after harvest.
“You don’t want to rush it,” he said. It will take some time to organize the vote, decide on a question and print and distribute ballots. Time must also be set aside for both sides to mount a campaign.
The motion passed by the legislature Feb. 28 differed significantly from what was originally introduced by Hierath one week earlier.
Changes to the act
That original motion had directed the provincial government to negotiate with the federal government for changes to the CWB Act that would allow farmers to sell wheat and barley to the U.S. without going through the board. It said if that could not be accomplished by Nov. 1, a province-wide plebiscite should be held.
That was amended at the request of Liberal ag critic Ken Nicol (Lethbridge East) to state that discussions with Ottawa would start only after a plebiscite was held.
Nicol said it’s now up to individual MLAs who want a vote to keep pressing the issue with the Paszkowski: “The legislature has given the minister direction and it’s our responsibility to make sure he responds.”
If the minister is committed to bringing in a dual market, he should announce that a vote will be held before spring, said Nicol.
