Conservatives putting prairie families at risk: Turmel

Ignoring farmers’ wishes, government barrels ahead with anti-Wheat Board legislation

OTTAWA – New Democrat Leader Nycole Turmel blasted the Conservative government today for ignoring farmers and putting Prairie families at risk by introducing legislation to dismantle the Wheat Board.

“This is an outrage. Prairie farmers have spoken. They want to maintain the Wheat Board,” said Turmel. “But Harper’s Ottawa Conservatives aren’t listening to Prairie farmers. They are only listening to their friends in the biggest agribusinesses”

As recently as last March, the Agriculture Minister assured the Wheat Board that the government would not impose dual marketing without a democratic vote. Today, the Conservatives are moving full-steam ahead to do just that – despite last month’s Wheat Board plebiscite showing the majority of Prairie farmers want the organization kept intact.

“The Conservatives need to put hard-working Canadians ahead of their friends in corporate agribusiness, and that means giving farmers a fair vote,” said Turmel. “This out-of-touch government thinks it knows better than Canadian farmers. They are putting the family farm at risk at a time when our economy needs stability.”

As Canada teeters on the brink of recession, Turmel says the Conservatives should put the political games aside and start focusing on real action to help hard-working farming families.

“It’s hard enough for Canadian farmers these days,” said Turmel. “This government needs to be building our agriculture sector instead of systematically tearing it down. The Ottawa Conservatives don’t know what’s best for our agriculture sector – farmers do. It’s time this government starts listening to them.”