A federal court judge has ruled that Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz’s tabling of a bill to dismantle the Canadian Wheat Board without holding a plebiscite among affected farmers was illegal.
In a ruling issued Wednesday, Justice Douglas Campbell agreed with the wheat board, which had argued that Ritz breached the Canadian Wheat Board Act by pushing ahead with the legislation without consulting with the board’s directors or holding a vote among producers.
“We call on minister Ritz to comply with the spirit of this ruling and immediately cease actions that would strip away Prairie farmers’ single-desk marketing system without first allowing a vote by affected producers,” said board chair Allen Oberg, an Alberta wheat farmer, in a release issued shortly after the judge’s ruling.
“We argued strongly that farmers should have the final say over changes to their grain marketing agency. As farmers, we pay for the CWB, we run it and we should decide what happens to it. We are pleased the court has agreed that the Minister acted in violation of laws created in 1998 to empower farmers and give them a direct say in any changes contemplated to the CWB’s marketing mandate. In light of this ruling, the government should stop steamrolling over farmers’ democratic rights.”
The government indicated it is going to appeal the Federal Court ruling.
The Liberals pressured the government in the House of Commons on Wednesday to say whether it would proceed with legislation to end the monopoly while the decision against Ritz stands.
Human Resources Minister Diane Finley would only say the government and western farmers are disappointed with the ruling.
Origin
Source: Toronto Star
In a ruling issued Wednesday, Justice Douglas Campbell agreed with the wheat board, which had argued that Ritz breached the Canadian Wheat Board Act by pushing ahead with the legislation without consulting with the board’s directors or holding a vote among producers.
“We call on minister Ritz to comply with the spirit of this ruling and immediately cease actions that would strip away Prairie farmers’ single-desk marketing system without first allowing a vote by affected producers,” said board chair Allen Oberg, an Alberta wheat farmer, in a release issued shortly after the judge’s ruling.
“We argued strongly that farmers should have the final say over changes to their grain marketing agency. As farmers, we pay for the CWB, we run it and we should decide what happens to it. We are pleased the court has agreed that the Minister acted in violation of laws created in 1998 to empower farmers and give them a direct say in any changes contemplated to the CWB’s marketing mandate. In light of this ruling, the government should stop steamrolling over farmers’ democratic rights.”
The government indicated it is going to appeal the Federal Court ruling.
The Liberals pressured the government in the House of Commons on Wednesday to say whether it would proceed with legislation to end the monopoly while the decision against Ritz stands.
Human Resources Minister Diane Finley would only say the government and western farmers are disappointed with the ruling.
Origin
Source: Toronto Star
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