After a face-to-face meeting with prime minister Stephen Harper, open marketer Rick Strankman says he has no doubt the government will find a way to end the Canadian Wheat Board’s single desk authority over barley.
“The prime minister looked me in the eye and said ‘this will happen,’ ” the Alberta farmer said after his Aug. 6 meeting in Lloydminster.
“I think they’re more determined than ever after the setback in court. He is unwavering in his determination.”
Government plans to bring in an open market for barley Aug. 1 were derailed by a last-minute Federal Court ruling that the plan was illegal.
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Strankman, of Altario, Alta., and Art Walde of Kindersley, Sask., both directors of the Western Barley Growers Association, managed to snag a 15 minute meeting with Harper, who was in Lloyd-minster for a political event.
They presented the prime minister with a letter and background paper outlining a joint proposal from the WBGA and the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association on what the government should do next:
- Appeal the federal court decision.
- Use its regulatory powers to direct the board to issue no-cost export permits to any farmer or grain company that requests one.
- Direct the board to provide domestic barley processors with an unlimited exemption from CWB rules so they can buy barley directly from farmers and grain companies.
- Introduce legislation into Parliament to end the board’s single desk for both wheat and barley and declare it a confidence motion, the defeat of which would mean an election.
Strankman said while the prime minister shared their frustration with the current situation, he offered no hints as to what Ottawa will do next.
Determined fighter
During his speech to the Lloydmin-ster event, Harper said his government wants higher prices for farmers and accused the CWB, the Liberals and the New Democrats of “trying to stop freedom and keep prices low.
“We are going to get this market open, whether the wheat board likes it or not because farmers have spoken and farmers are going to win this battle,” said Harper.
While happy with most of the prime minister’s remarks, Strankman said he was disappointed when Harper said the government may have to wait until “next season”, which he interpreted to mean the 2008-09 crop year, to get an open market in place.
WBGA president Jeff Nielsen said he wants something to be done now.
“I’m really hoping we can get the export licences out this year.”
The barley and wheat growers’ associations are basing their request for export licences on Section 18 of the CWB Act, which states the federal cabinet may “direct the corporation with respect to the manner in which any of its operations, powers and duties under the act shall be conducted, exercised or performed.”
While the July court ruling didn’t deal with Section 18, CWB director Larry Hill said the judge made it clear that the future marketing powers of the board are to be determined by farmers and the board’s elected directors, acting under the CWB Act.
The board has said it will move quickly to bring in new pricing and delivery flexibility for barley growers and is anxious to sit down with the government and discuss those plans.
