The farmer-elected advisory committee to the Canadian Wheat Board has mended its internal divisions over tactics and now is united in proposing that the Liberal government not impose CWB reform without an approving farmer vote.
“This is a major government initiative that affects the livelihood of farmers and it needs legitimacy,” advisory committee chair Art Macklin said March 19 after an appearance before the Senate agriculture committee studying Bill C-4.
When the bill was before the House of Commons, the advisory committee was split between a slim majority that wanted it withdrawn and a minority that wanted to fight for change.
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Now, the committee has united in urging the Senate to recommend change, and then putting the final government package to farmers in a vote.
“The government says there is a supportive silent majority but many claim the eastern-dominated government is forcing its will on the farmers of Western Canada,” the advisory committee told the Senate. “By holding a vote, it would give farmers some control over this process and potentially avoid more western alienation.”
As it has in the past, the advisory committee urged that the wheat board reform bill be amended to strengthen the CWB.
It worried that proposals to allow cash buying and to create a farmer-financed contingency fund would weaken farmer support for the wheat board and lead to its demise.
To make it more wheat board friendly, the advisory committee recommended legislation be amended to:
- End the need for a checkoff
financed contingency fund by restoring government guarantees for any mid-year initial payment increase.
- Limit the board’s ability to cash buy outside the pool to situations where additional feed barley is needed to meet contract obligations.
- Kill the proposal that the CWB be able to close pools early, since it could be used as another way to create a cash market.
- Increase the number of farmer-elected directors to 11 from 10.
- Allow farmers to borrow from the CWB pool against their final payment, reducing farmer complaints about not being able to receive instant full market returns for their grain.
The advisory committee also supported wheat board minister Ralph Goodale’s proposal that both the inclusion and exclusion clauses be deleted, leaving the issue of future changes in wheat board jurisdiction to the responsible minister, with a farmer vote required before any grain is added to or subtracted from CWB jurisdiction.
Goodale proposed at the last minute during House of Commons debate that the controversial inclusion/exclusion clause be withdrawn. Because it was a last minute suggestion, it required unanimous consent and did not receive it.
Macklin suggested the Senate send that amendment back to the House of Commons.
