Supply management officials say they trust the government to protect their sector, despite a high-level business lobby argument to jettison the system.
Former Liberal deputy prime minister John Manley, who now heads the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, recently urged the government to ditch the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly and supply management protectionism in the interests of trade liberalization.
Canadian Federation of Agriculture president Ron Bonnett said May 16 the suggestion is simplistic and would have no effect on World Trade Organization negotiations.
“We have to look at a deal that is not going to knock the living daylights out of any sector,” he said. “This is not a realistic proposal.”
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Yves Leduc, trade director for Dairy Farmers of Canada, said his organization is convinced the Harper government will not heed the business lobby call.
“The fact is the Conservative government is on record supporting supply management and it has shown that support through action,” he said. “Parliament has spoken on this issue and the government has acted. I don’t think this letter will have an impact on that.”
The CWB’s board of directors decided not to respond.
Although the Conservatives oppose the monopoly, they also have argued it is an issue to be decided in Canada and not at WTO talks in Geneva.
“Our board of director’s position on what should be happening re-(state trading enterprise) monopoly powers at the WTO, as it applies to the CWB, has been clearly articulated,” board media relations manager Maureen Fitzhenry said in a May 16 e-mail.
The wheat board’s view is that western Canadian grain farmers should decide the issue rather than the government or the WTO.
