REGINA – Farmers who want to eliminate the Canadian Wheat Board “want the freedom to stand naked in the global marketplace,” a rally of about 250 board supporters was told here last week.
“I’m tired of inflated egos masquerading as thoughtful men telling me I shouldn’t have the competitive advantage of the Canadian Wheat Board simply because they want freedom,” said Southey, Sask. farmer Doug Faller. “Well, there is no freedom in having the iron hand of powerful interests in the marketplace taking you by the throat.”
Faller said the board is the best marketing agency in the world and a powerful risk management tool.
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“We need the Canadian Wheat Board. We have the right to have the Canadian Wheat Board,” he said.
Faller was among several pro-board speakers who addressed the rally, organized by a coalition of farm organizations. The crowd later demonstrated outside federal agriculture minister Ralph Goodale’s constituency office.
They were joined by federal New Democratic Party leader Alexa McDonough, who congratulated them for facing head-on the threat of the Western Grain Marketing Panel recommendations.
“Let me say absolutely clearly how important it is that you keep up the pressure,” she said, adding, “We stand rock solid in support of your efforts.”
Unanimously rejected
The farmers unanimously passed a resolution rejecting the panel report.
Chair Norm Bray, of McLean, Sask., urged the crowd to send letters to Goodale to show their support for the board by the Aug. 31 deadline.
“Just sending in a form letter to Ralph I don’t think is going to do the job,” he said. “He has made it clear that he’s not going to put a lot of weight on letters that you just clip out of the paper. There are rumors that the form letters are not even being kept over at his office.”
But a spokesperson from Goodale’s constituency office called that rumor “ridiculous.”
Meanwhile, organizers of previous rallies in all three prairie provinces met with Goodale to outline their concerns about the panel report.
Saskatchewan Wheat Pool delegates are meeting with Goodale Aug. 30.
