In the orchestrated pandemonium that is the House of Commons question period, agriculture minister Chuck Strahl was shouting to be heard over the din.
Several hours earlier, he had announced government plans to end the Canadian Wheat Board barley monopoly within four months. The House was in an uproar.
“What a great day for western Canadian farmers,” bellowed the minister as Conservative MPs behind him chanted “freedom, freedom.” Meanwhile, opposition parties jeered.
“Sixty-two percent of barley producers said they want freedom of choice to market their own barley. We are going to give them the choice that farmers demanded.”
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When Liberal agriculture critic Wayne Easter entered the fray, the debate got personal.
“As for the member for Malpeque, it is time to act like a man,” said Strahl. “Listen to the farmers.”
Behind the expected heated political name calling March 28, there were questions about the message that Strahl’s numbers conveyed.
Prairie-wide, 48.4 percent of 29,067 farmers who voted supported a question that offered producers a choice of selling in the open market or through a voluntary wheat board. Critics immediately said that was a false option.
CWB chair Ken Ritter said the federal plebiscite results were not “overly surprising” because CWB producer survey results showed roughly 47 percent support for a dual market in wheat and barley. However, he said board directors have decided that is not a real option.
“It offered a choice, an option that is not realistic, possible or achievable.”
Jeff Nielsen, president of the Western Barley Growers Association, suggested the wheat board simply doesn’t want to try.
“We want to work with the board and it’s their choice,” he said after standing in the crowd listening to Strahl’s announcement. “They can adapt to change and survive. They don’t need assets. They don’t need capital. I deal with brokers daily. Eighty percent of the barley the board handles is handled by their accredited exporters. They can work in the system and farmers want them to.”
Since many had expected a much larger margin against the monopoly, there were questions about the margin of victory.
“I’m a little surprised but once this whole vote started to take place, it became not only a barley vote but it became a wheat vote as well and that confused the issue,” said dual market supporter Ross Ravelli from Dawson Creek, B.C., president of the Grain Growers of Canada. “If it was just on barley, it would have been more clear.”
