Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 31, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba a4 Winnipeg free press tuesday october 31, 2006 top news wheat Board fast track urged conservative appointed task Force wants monopoly ended by 2008 monday. By Paul Samyn and Larry Kusch o As part of that vow Strahl has already secured a Cabinet order Banning the Ottawa ? a Federal task Force Cwb from spending any Money adv has Laid out an aggressive game Cating the retention of its marketing plan for ending the Canadian monopoly. Wheat boards monopoly recommend Ken Ritter the Saskatchewan Grain ing Prairie wheat and Barley marketing Farmer who chairs the Canadian wheat be opened up by 2008. Board said the task forces recommend the reports prescription which was nations Are unrealistic. Slammed monday As the death Knell for How can you in four weeks do a the Winnipeg based Agency comes after report that does Justice to the Canadian the Harper conservatives took the rare Grain Industry i just Don to think you can step of sacking one of the Cwb a gov do it. And this report in my judgment Ern ment appointed directors Ross Keith did the said in an interview. Of Regina Over the weekend. Ritter questioned the reports propos i am strongly of the View that the Al that new directors be named by the Cwb cannot and will not be viable with government next june by which time out a single desk Keith wrote in an oct. The task Force envisages that a new act of 12 letter obtained by the free press ? parliament respecting the wheat Board to agriculture minister Chuck Strahl. Will have received Royal assent. The Choice is Between the single desk so what does that mean said Ritter. And an open Market. The open Market that the people running for director will resemble the american system right now would Only get six months in without the subsidy and will not be to the tories Don to have the guts their positions the Benefit of Farmers. In fact control Manitoba conservation minister Stan to have a vote on this will ultimately flow to the transnational Struthers who acting for agriculture Grain companies said Keith. Minister Rosann Wowchuk who is cur the task Force report ? written by ? acting Manitoba agricultural minister gently in Israel described the report As those who Back the tory Campaign Stan Struthers outrageous. Promise to end the wheat boards Mono the minister Strahl asked his oly ? lands smack in the Middle of the friends to find a Way to kill the Canadian Campaign now underway to elect Farmer wheat Board and the task Force is doing directors in five of 10 Prairie electoral what the minister asked them to do districts. Said Struthers. It makes no mention of the main Struthers said the report shows the demand from backers of the existing importance of Manitoba a pledge to hold wheat Board that the government hold a a plebiscite among the provinces farm plebiscite among Prairie producers to ers if the tories refuse to consult with see if they agree with plans to end the producers. Cwb a status As the single desk seller of the tories Don to have the guts to have All Prairie wheat and Barley that is a vote on this Struthers said. Exported or sold domestically for human but Rolf Penner a Morris Farmer and consumption. An agricultural policy fellow with the instead the report focuses on the Cre Winnipeg based Frontier Centre for pub action of a new Cwb that would be owned Lic policy said he wishes that the task by Farmers who would be Able to buy Force had tightened the timeline for shares for $1 each. Implementing marketing Choice. The task Force believes that if mar i would prefer that it would be Quick keying Choice is introduced in a careful or. I was hoping that for next crop year considered Way but without unnecessary we would have the marketing Choice delay an efficient effective and com option he said. Pet Tive Grain marketing system will David Rolfe president of Keystone serve Grain producers customers and agricultural producers which repro the Overall Grain Industry the report sents 7,000 Manitoba farm families concludes. How can you in four weeks do Canadas new government is called the report however the reports Call to move Rolfe said the new wheat Board Envis a report that does Justice to committed to marketing Choice without unnecessary delay including aged by Strahl a task would be severely passing legislation repealing the exist the Canadian Grain Industry for Farmers under capitalized and would have great ing Canadian wheat Board act in favour difficulty competing in the inter nation of a new commercial company by june ? Canadian wheat Board chairman ? Federal agriculture minister Al 2007 ? is running up against a minority Ken Ritter Chuck Strahl parliament in which the liberals nip and bloc quebecois Are unlikely to sup making Good on the tory election vow. Voluntary wheat Board something that. port the plans. Canadas new government is com Farmers want and something that this. still Strahl said he looks Forward to fitted to marketing Choice for Farmers Side of the House is very determined to sharing the report with Farmers and and we Are also committed to a Strong make happen he told the commons what report says a13 Manitoba Farmer jailed in 1996 hails report Border because they did to have Board loses their monopoly that their own Price and said its about by Jen Skerritt proper documentation. Will be the biggest Light that a time the wheat Board changes. At the time Canadian Farmers shone on Western Canada in Many he said there a no reason for the Federal governments plan to were fetching c$8.50 a Bushel for decades said Mcmechan who Farmers to be regulated by a Board end the Canadian wheat boards durum wheat South of the Border went to jail for 155 Days in 1996. They have no control Over and monopoly comes As Welcome news instead of $3.50 from the wheat Mcmechan lost his farm when Farmers should have the right to to a Manitoba Farmer who went to Board. Creditors foreclosed on it during decide what to do with their own jail for Selling his own Grain. More than a dozen of the farm the dispute. He now feeds cattle assets. In 1996, Andy Mcmechan was ers went to jail some for up to six for another Farmer in the Lyleton its been a Long time coming one of a number of Canadian months because they refused to area in southwestern Manitoba. But that a exactly what the Feder Farmers charged under the Cana pay the $1,000 to $7,500 fines Mcmechan is pleased the fed Al government and the provincial a customs act for illegally trans imposed on them. Eral government is supportive of government should say to people porting Grain across the . When the Canadian wheat Farmers efforts to sell Grain at ? you have a Choice he said ;