Government interference

In an article by re-elected Conservative MP Kevin Sorenson, he stated that … he wanted to see “changes in the Canadian Wheat Board brought forward soon.”

How long must our marketing agency be under attack from government? We have seen gag orders, CEOs being fired and MPs sending letters to ballot-holding farmers instructing them to vote for the open-market candidates in CWB director elections….

It seems every time the Conservatives have interfered with the CWB, they have overstepped the law. A prime example is the barley plebiscite held two or three years ago.

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With the CWB under a gag order and the voting rules and balloting so terribly irregular, the whole process was brought to court where it was ruled illegal and invalid.

Consequently, barley was put back in the hands of the CWB – not because they wanted it but because such blatant contempt of democracy should never go unchallenged.

Now with a majority, Conservatives are rattling their sabers once again, only this time I’m sure their tactics will be much more ruthless. Why are they doing this? It’s certainly not for the 20 percent who favour an open market. Nor can they say it has to go because of WTO (World Trade Organization) and NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) rules, since the CWB has passed this test many times. It all comes down to one thing: Conservative philosophy, which is to cater to big business at any cost.

Agriculture minister Gerry Ritz recently said the government will not allow a vote on the future of the board, but will consult farmers. This will amount to listening to what the minister wants to hear. Where has democracy gone?

The feeling of the Conservative government is that since they did very well in the West, they now have the mandate to do what they want with the CWB. Not so, for two major reasons.

Firstly, the CWB was never a campaign issue. It was never brought up in the two debates, nor did Mr. Harper ever mention it in the many interviews he had during the campaign.

Secondly, the farmers of Western Canada represent a minute portion of the votes in this vast area.

So let’s be realistic and see the CWB for what it is – part of a major industry, which concerns relatively few voters but which contributes greatly to Canada’s economy. At the very least, farmers deserve the democratic right to decide their future by a fair campaign and a fair vote free from government interference.

Don Bamber,Oyen, Alta.