OTTAWA – The three-month campaign to decide the future of barley marketing under the Canadian Wheat Board began late last week as the federal government announced the questions, the timing and the rules.
Immediately, there was criticism of the question and a prediction it would be a controversial campaign.
“I think we will see a fairly dirty campaign, misinformation and the wheat board using our money to promote itself,” said Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association chair Kevin Archibald from his Killarney, Man. farm.
Archibald and the wheat growers oppose the board’s export monopoly on most western grown wheat and barley.
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And there was a warning from federal agriculture minister Ralph Goodale that if he sees other political forces like the Alberta government getting involved, he might join the fray. He said he would prefer it to be a debate between farmers.
He added the board should be able to “respond to requests for information.”
The mail-in vote will be held through the last two weeks of February, with the results tabulated by mid-March.
All prairie farmers who have grown barley in the past five years will be eligible to vote. If they have fed on farm rather than selling into the commercial system, they will be able to join the voters list by swearing a legally binding affidavit asserting they have grown barley.
The questions will be:
- Open Market Option: Remove all barley (both livestock feed and malting) from the Canadian Wheat Board and place it entirely on the open market for all domestic and export sales; or
- Single-Seller Option: Maintain the Canadian Wheat Board as the single seller for all barley with the continuing exception of feed barley sold domestically.
Goodale said Nov. 8 that as long as there is a solid voter response, he will be inclined to follow the wishes of the majority, no matter how small the margin of victory.
Archibald said by refusing to allow a vote on a “dual market”, which would see the wheat board competing in the marketplace, the federal minister is skewing the vote.
“I’m disappointed that the minister has taken the middle ground away from us,” he said.
Still, Archibald said with falling prices and frustration over board sales performance, “I still think the vote is winable” for opponents of the monopoly.
Reform party agriculture spokes-person Elwin Hermanson said the question is wrong, adding that Reform would make the wheat board voluntary.
