Farmers support CWB legal action
(Regina) The Farmers of the CWBA support the legal action by the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) to stop the Harper administration’s illegal theft of their organization and the illegal expropriation of the benefits provided by our CWB to western farmers.
“We are very pleased our elected directors are taking their duties to us seriously and defending our democratic right to manage our own marketing system,” Bill Gehl, chair person of the Canadian Wheat Board Alliance said. “The majority of grain farmers see Minister Ritz’s legislation to kill our Board as an illegal procedure designed to take away our legal right to have a vote on any changes to our Board and we are all very pleased our Wheat Board is taking legal action.”
Gehl went on to say “Not only is this an illegal procedure, it amounts to a violation of our property rights by illegally expropriating the extra dollars the Wheat Board generates and returns to farmers. Everyone understands the importance of brands and trademarks in marketing. Yet Ritz’s draconian legislation also expropriates the brand value of the high quality grains we have developed and which have little value to us without the sophisticated marketing system which delivers that high quality to customers and returns the value to farmers. This aspect of our Canadian Wheat Board marketing system is unique in the world and creates our market niche of serving high end, high value customers and having farm producers, rather than company shareholders, receive the extra revenue.”
“For urban people if Ritz succeeds in killing our Wheat Board, they can no longer have confidence that the grain in all the bread, pasta, and most of the beer they consume is grown by Canadian farmers under strict quality controlled conditions. The private corporations to which Ritz intends to give control of our basic food stocks will have no economic incentives to capitalize on using our high quality grains in Canadian food processing.”
Ken Larsen, a CWBA member from Alberta, observed “over-throwing a democratically elected farmer-Board of Directors after it has been endorsed by a farmer plebiscite and replacing them with government appointees is a giant step away from basic democratic principles. This part of the legislation establishes a terrible precedent with grim implications for all Canadians.” - 30 -
For further information call:
Bill Gehl 306-537-3899, or 306-543-7875
Ken Larsen 403-746-5792
Or log on to www.cwbafacts.ca <http://www.cwbafacts.ca>
Canadian Wheat Board Alliance
Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board
National Farmers Union
IMPORTANT MEETING AND DEMONSTRATION. WINNIPEG, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28
Please attend this demonstration in support of a strong CWB. Farmers are asked to assemble:
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2011
10:00 AM
Exhibition Place building
RED RIVER EXHIBITION GROUNDS
Highway #1 at the west Perimeter Highway (3977 Portage Ave.)
Winnipeg
Farmers will travel from the staging area by police escort to the Canadian Wheat Board building to rally in front of the CWB at 12:00 p.m.
2. Buses
The NFU has arranged 2 buses, originating from:
- Swift Current, Saskatchewan, and traveling down Highway 1; and from
- Lloydminster, Alberta, and travelling down Highway 16.
Both buses can stop to pick up passengers as needed along the way.
Buses will leave Thursday, October 27 and return on Friday, the 28th.
If you want a seat on either bus, or if you need the bus to stop in your community, call the NFU office at (306) 652-9465. Pickup/departure times for your location to follow.
3. Accommodation
If you are traveling on the buses and need accommodations, please call:
Motel 6 (Headingley)
4400 Portage Ave (Hwy 101 North)
Phone: (204) 896-9000
Rates: $96 per room (tax incl.) for double occupancy, ($89 for single). Ask for the senior’s rate.
Motel One
3760 Portage Ave
Phone: (204) 831-9800
Rates: $87.94 (tax incl.) for a double and $82.08 (tax incl.) for a single.
If both these hotels are 100% booked, Call Darrin at the NFU office for an alternate.
Please book your own hotel room directly. The NFU office cannot do this. Please room with someone if you can, to reduce your costs and help ensure rooms for others.
4. Actions
Here are 5 things you can do:
1. Plan to attend this protest and build the movement to protect the CWB;
2. Call farmers in your area, tell them about the event, urge them to attend, and ask them to make calls too;
3. If you’re outside the Winnipeg area, work to get people onto the buses or into other vehicles to travel to the demonstration;
4. If you are near Winnipeg, help with the preparations for the event; and
5. Support this work financially by contributing to one of the organizations doing this work.
5. For more information, please contact:
Darrin Qualman, (Acting) NFU Organizer:
(306) 652-9465
Kevin Wipf, NFU Executive Director:
(306) 652-9465
Larry Bohdanovich, Friends of the CWB:
(204) 546-3154 or 638-1893
Ian Robson, NFU Board Member:
(204) 858-2479
Bill Gehl, Canadian Wheat Board Alliance:
(306) 537-3899