2011-10(October)
October 2011
I’ve been hearing a lot of questions surrounding the new Wheat Board legislation, and the trend is the same: Why is the government making these changes? The answer is simple. The goal of the changes to the CWB is to give farmers the right to choose how they market their own grain. By opening the market, we are giving Western grain growers the same right and opportunity to make their own business decisions and market their own grain, as farmers in the rest of Canada and around the world already have.
Farmers were not allowed to vote when the CWB was imposed upon them in the 1940s, and they did not get a vote in 1998 when Ralph Goodale completely rewrote the CWB legislation. No farmer has the right to force business decisions on his or her neighbour; no one farmer should trump the rights of another. Farmers will make their commitment to the CWB known by their support for it in the future. Farmers will have the choice to market individually or pool their grain through a voluntary entity.
We know farmers make their marketing choices based on what is best for their own businesses. These changes will allow Western Canadian farmers to do just that, while removing government control from where it’s not needed.
The Governments of BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, whose provinces produce 90% of the barley and over 80% of the wheat in Western Canada, have announced their support for our Government’s plans to give farmers marketing freedom Our Government is committed to delivering on our long time promise to give Western Canadian grain farmers the marketing freedom they deserve.
Our Government wants to work with the grain industry to find positive, constructive solutions for moving the sector toward a brighter economic future.
By allowing market freedom, grain growers will be able to market based on what is best for their own business. This decision will attract investment, encourage innovation, create value-added jobs and build a stronger Canadian economy.
Please contact my Constituency office if you have any questions or concerns on any federally related matters, postage free, at: Bay #6A, 4612 - 50th Street, Ponoka, T4J 1S7; tel: 403-783-5530; toll free: 1-800-665-0865 or visit my web site: www.blainecalkinsmp.ca or on twitter at www.twitter.com/blainecalkinsmp