CWB Prohibited From Promoting Its Retention

WINNIPEG - Oct 11/06 - SNS -- The Canadian government is prohibiting the Canadian Wheat Board from publicly pushing for its own retention as the sole export seller of western Canadian wheat and barley.

The restriction issued by federal agriculture minister Chuck Strahl is the most recent in measures aimed at "controlling the message" by the increasingly secretive Harper government.

On Friday, October 6, 2006 the Government of Canada sent the following directive to the CWB:

"Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, pursuant to subsection 18(1) of the Canadian Wheat Board Act, hereby directs the Canadian Wheat Board to conduct its operations under that act in the following manner:

"It shall not expend funds, directly or indirectly, on advocating the retention of its monopoly powers, including the expenditure of funds for advertising, publishing or market research: and

"It shall not provide funds to any other person or entity to enable them to advocate the retention of monopoly powers of the Canadian Wheat Board."

CWB chairman Ken Ritter was perplexed by the order. He asserts that since early September they have not spent "money advertising, publishing or conducting marketing research advocating the retention of monopoly powers. We have not provided funds to others so they can advocate on our behalf. We are in the midst of director elections, where farmers in five of the 10 districts vote for their preferred candidates. During this time the organization follows a strict code of conduct which prohibits our influencing the elections in any way. This Order in Council, however, appears to extend indefinitely.

"As an organization, we are fully aware of the extensive debate surrounding the future of the CWB. We believe that it is critical that farmers have the benefit of a free and open debate. Any restrictions which stifle this debate will not do it justice.

"Our position has always been that farmers, through the plebiscite called for under the CWB Act, must vote on any changes to the mandate of the organization. The CWB works on behalf of the farmers of Western Canada, and it is the farmers of Western Canada who should decide its future."