An Alberta bill that would allow Alberta farmers to operate a test
market selling wheat and barley outside the Canadian Wheat Board passed
third reading in the Alberta legislature Dec. 2.
Bill 207, the Alberta Wheat and Barley Test Market Act, asks the
provincial government to encourage the federal government to allow a
10-year open market testing ground.
The private member’s bill was introduced by Calgary MLA Mark Hlady who
said it would allow Alberta farmers to continue to use the wheat board
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or market the grain on their own. The bill comes into force Jan. 1,
2003.
“The Canadian Wheat Board is the most socialistic, communistic thing
that we have in legislation in Canada today,” said Hlady.
Louise Waldman of the Canadian Wheat Board said the Alberta act will
not change how the federally mandated wheat board operates.
The Alberta government has challenged the wheat board’s validity in
court before and lost, she said. The test market act will not affect
how the board operates, either.
“Only farmers have the power to change the way the wheat board
operates, not politicians or government,” she said.
