07) DUMP RITZ, NOT THE WHEAT BOARD

People's Voice Editorial

    In the latest example of Tory arrogance, Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced on Sept. 12 that he will ignore the will of farmers and legislate the Canadian Wheat Board's single desk marketing system out of existence by August 1, 2012.

     The Minister's edict was issued on the same day that results of a CWB-sponsored plebiscite were revealed. Sixty-two percent of grain farmers backed the CWB single desk system for wheat and durum, which historically has provided higher, more stable prices for most farmers. A smaller number - 51% but still a majority - backed the CWB sales monopoly for barley. The voter response among prairie grain farmers was a strong 56 percent, similar to the turnout for federal elections.

     Speaking for the farmers who elect the CWB Board of Directors, chair Allen Oberg responded that "We will not sit back and watch this government steamroll over farmers. We cannot stand back and watch politics trample business interests. We intend to stand our ground and uphold the farmers' decision."

     Ritz, on the other hand, speaks only for the transnational private grain monopolies and the largest operators, who hope use their size in an "open market" to wipe out smaller farms. So much for the Conservative claim to speak for rural Canadians!

     The Harper Tories cannot be allowed to ram through this odious legislation without a fight. Farmers and rural Canadians are not the only people affected by the Tory attack on the CWB. In the long run this agenda will accelerate the depopulation of rural areas, driving thousands of families into poverty, and strengthening the grip of agribusiness on the food we eat. We urge PV readers to take up this issue everywhere, from union locals and labour councils to community organizations. Urban-rural unity can still save the CWB!

(The above article is from the September 16-31, 2011, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)