Over the objections of New Democrat and Reform party MPs, the House of Commons last week sent the Canadian Wheat Board reform legislation to a Commons committee for public hearings and debate.
The Commons voted to allow the agriculture committee to travel west the week of March 17 for public hearings in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Calgary and Grande Prairie.
The vote to move legislation into the parliamentary system was 148 – 30. Liberals and Bloc QuŽbecois MPs voted for it.
Although they voted against it, in debate before the vote many Reform MPs argued they wanted the legislation to get to committee so public hearings can be held. Then flaws can be pointed out and corrections proposed.
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Agriculture spokesperson Elwin Hermanson accused the government of delivering far less reform and democracy to the wheat board than promised.
“We believe the government’s proposed amendments…are weak, ineffective and a slap in the face to prairie producers,” he said. “The government is telling them that they cannot manage their own marketing affairs, that in some way they are inferior to the producers of Ontario, Quebec and the commodities within Canada where producers are able to very effectively and capably manage their marketing affairs.”
Election looms
He also raised the spectre that the Liberals would not pass the bill before an election, despite promises from agriculture minister Ralph Goodale that wheat board changes will happen by summer.
There is a tight parliamentary timetable before the expected spring or summer election call, he said.
“On top of that, it is a very flawed bill and needs a lot of work,” said Hermanson. “The probability of this bill passing at this point seems rather remote unless the government has a change of heart and is prepared to make significant changes.”
In fact, Liberal MP Jerry Pickard, parliamentary secretary to the agriculture minister, began the debate by indicating Goodale would accept changes making the legislation more precise about the majority of directors being elected by farmers.
But he said the government would not accept Reform and other critics’ suggestions that the board lose its monopoly marketing powers to become a voluntary marketing board.
“(The CWB) has the support of a majority of western grain farmers,” he said. “They want realistic and sensible changes but they do not want a scenario that would lead inevitably to the board’s destruction.”
Liberals used the debate to praise the board and Goodale’s proposals to make it more democratic, accountable and flexible.
Reformers used the debate to condemn it for secrecy, inflexibility and monopoly powers.
“It has a security level equal to that of CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service),” complained Alberta Reformer Leon Benoit. “The books are closed. Secrecy is there. The board is unaccountable. The monopoly remains. It makes no sense. It has to be changed and it has to be changed soon.”
Saskatchewan New Democrat Len Taylor was the only speaker to complain that the legislation goes too far in weakening the board. He said Goodale should withdraw the legislation and make the future of the board an election issue.
“It weakens the position of the board and jeopardizes the future income of Canadian farmers across the prairies at a time prior to an election when we should discuss this during the election campaign,” Taylor said.
