The ongoing legal battle between the federal government and champions of single-desk grain marketing has taken yet another twist.
Former CWB directors announced April 4 that they will appeal an earlier court ruling that refused to grant an injunction blocking Bill C-18.
Former CWB directors who were seeking an injunction against Bill C-18 had argued that implementing the bill should be delayed until Canada’s court system has had an opportunity to thoroughly assess its validity.
But in late February, Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench judge Shane Perlmutter refused to grant the injunction.
Read Also
Pork council rejoins national farm organization
Canadian Pork Council decides to rejoin Canadian Federation of Agriculture to present a united trade front
Stewart Wells, a Saskatchewan farmer and former CWB director, said earlier this week that an appeal of Perlmutter’s decision is warranted, given all that’s at stake for western Canadian grain farmers.
Farmer support for the appeal, and for other CWB-related court actions, has been strong, he added.
Court actions that support single-desk marketing are being funded largely through producer donations.
“Our fundraising efforts … have been inspirational,” Wells said.
“A lot (of farmers) understand that we are at a real crossroad in this country.”
Bill Gehl, chair of the Canadian Wheat Board Alliance, said his group would support the appeal.
Wells and other farmers involved in the case should be applauded for standing up for the democratic rights of farmers, he added.
“Our membership strongly supports our elected CWB directors in their appeal of (Perlmutter’s ruling) … which ignored the right of farmers to have a fair vote on the future of our single desk wheat board,” Gehl said.
Wells said he and others felt that Perlmutter’s decision was based partially on information that was not formally presented in the court.
That information included a consideration of whether single-desk marketing was providing a financial benefit to prairie grain farmers.
Instead, Perlmutter’s ruling should have focused on the validity of Bill C-18 and on whether Ottawa had adequately sought farmers’ opinions before making changes to the wheat board.
“After taking a very close look at judge Perlmutter’s ruling, it was decided that the ruling had to be appealed,” Wells said.
