SASKATOON – The federal Progressive Conservative party appears to have ended, for the moment, its flirtation with a policy of promoting a voluntary Canadian Wheat Board.
PC agriculture critic Rick Borotsik said last week his caucus will fight parts of the government’s proposals to reform the wheat board, but not the decision to leave it as a monopoly marketing agency for now.
“My position is not that it should be a voluntary board at this time,” said the Brandon-Souris, Man. MP.
He said the 20 Tory MPs in the new Parliament will fight against a Liberal proposal that would allow the board’s jurisdiction to be expanded if farmers vote for it.
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Dual market not the answer
But it will not join the Reform party in arguing that the new legislation should set the stage for a dual market and a voluntary board immediately.
“These things have to be evolutionary,” said Borotsik, in Saskatoon Oct. 2 with Tory leader Jean Charest as he toured several western cities.
Charest refused to answer questions about the wheat board legislation, referring them to his agriculture critic.
Borotsik, former Brandon mayor, was the only Conservative elected west of Toronto in the June 2 election.
His defence of the board’s monopoly was not resounding and he predicted the board monopoly will wither in the face of market pressures and changing farmer opinions.
He said the new legislation would allow that to happen by setting the stage for future farmer votes on CWB jurisdiction.
During the election campaign, the Conservatives issued a proposal to make the CWB more “flexible” while allowing farmers to make more of their own choices on marketing.
It was vague enough to allow some PC candidates to run on a platform of supporting the board and others to run on a platform that called for a dual market and a voluntary board.
