Liberal MPs say there is no chance government proposals to reform Canadian Wheat Board voters list rules will be in effect in time for fall elections.Agriculture minister Gerry Ritz introduced bill C-27 in May as a way to limit voting rights to farmers who have produced at least 40 tonnes of one of the seven CWB grains within the past three years, but never called it for debate.The bill also included a proposal to speed up approval of CWB initial payment level proposals to Ottawa.However, with Parliament now adjourned until Sept. 20, Liberal House leader Ralph Goodale said it is almost impossible to imagine the bill getting through the parliamentary process in time to influence rules for the 2010 CWB election.“I just don’t see it,” he said. “I don’t see how it could be done. On the voters list side of the bill, we will need some committee hearings to get comment from both sides of this issue.”In the dying days of the session, the Liberals proposed that the government split the bill into the faster payments promise and the voter rule changes.They promised to pass the expedited-payments part of the proposal within an hour before the Commons rose for the summer. The voters list proposals would be dealt with in fall.Ritz rejected the idea as a Liberal attempt to gut the bill. He said the CWB board of directors had endorsed the entire bill.“Farmers have known for years that the Liberal party doesn’t understand rural Canada, so nobody will be surprised to see Mr. (Liberal agriculture critic Wayne) Easter trying to tear this bill apart by gutting it of a recommendation from the CWB itself that would make sure real farmers are in control of their business,” he said in a statement issued in response to questions.“No, we’ll not gut legislation that the wheat board and farm groups are asking for.”Easter said he thinks the wheat board legislation was introduced as a message to the Conservatives’ anti-CWB monopoly base.There was never an indication the government planned to call it for debate.“I think this is just messaging by the government, trying to look like they’re doing something without really doing anything,” he said.“I question how much support Ritz has from the leadership. It was never a priority for the government, never on the list of bills to call, no higher priority than a Liberal private member’s bill.”Ritz blamed the opposition for not agreeing to pass the bill quickly.“If the opposition agreed to work in the best interests of farmers and pass this important legislation, it would be on the order paper tomorrow but this letter (from Easter) is more proof that they are not willing to put farmers first,” he said.
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