Once the Canadian Wheat Board barley monopoly ends, there will be “no going back” no matter what happens in the market, according to federal agriculture minister Chuck Strahl.
“There’s no going back in the sense of ‘we’re going to go monopoly one year and no monopoly the next year and so on.’ We’re moving ahead and changing the system,” he said.
“I suppose it’s conceivable that the Liberals could threaten or the NDP could threaten (to reinstate the monopoly) but it’s not in the best interests of the industry to say we’re in this year, we’re out, we’re in.”
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He was responding to a question from New Democrat MP Alex Atamanenko about whether the government would reassess its anti-monopoly policy if it turns out the CWB is unable to continue in the market and if most farmers are not benefiting from the change.
In a separate exchange with Liberal Wayne Easter during an appearance before the House of Commons agriculture committee the same day, Strahl insisted that getting rid of the single desk will be good news for farmers and most of them know it.
He did not respond to a question from Easter about whether the federal government would compensate the CWB if it faces penalties because it cannot fulfil barley contracts once the monopoly is ended and sales to the board dwindle.
Later, Easter refused to allow a committee vote to approve Agriculture Canada’s spending plans for the 2007-08 year until the government explains if there is money for board compensation.
Meanwhile, Strahl was more definitive last week about his plans for wheat.
He told the committee that while it will not happen during the next year, he does plan to hold a farmer vote on whether to dismantle the wheat monopoly.
