Last meeting for wheat board

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/11/2011 (5083 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Unless something extraordinary happens, the eight remaining farmer-elected board members of the Canadian Wheat Board met for the last time on Wednesday.

That’s because a bill to reorganize the CWB that the Harper government is intent on passing before Christmas calls for their immediate termination.

CWB chairman Allen Oberg said there were no ceremonial actions taken by the board at its last meeting, other than passing a resolution stating all of the CWB’s assets and wealth has been due to farmers’ efforts.

“Our major concern is that this is a government takeover of a producer organization,” Oberg said. “All the wealth that has been created within the organization has been provided by farmers. Those assets become government assets with no thought of compensation. This is a huge issue.”

In addition to intangible value — some say $500 million a year — Oberg said there are hard assets such as the contingency fund, hopper cars and money spent on lake vessels that haven’t yet been built.

It looks like the sniping will carry on to the bitter end. In an email request for comment on the last board meeting, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said, “Unfortunately, actual producers have never been in control of the CWB, as clearly demonstrated by Mr. Oberg’s unilateral decisions to waste farmers’ time and money on such things as a baseless court case, reckless propaganda and expensive lakers.”

While there may not be another board meeting, there will be a meeting in court on Dec. 6.

The board is applying for a judicial review of the actions of the minister, claiming he is in breach of his statutory duty by failing to consult the board and failing to hold a producer vote prior to introducing the legislation that will end the CWB’s single desk role.

“We believe we have a very arguable case,” Oberg said.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca