Let Prairie farmers decide their future – not Ottawa

OTTAWA – New Democrats are taking immediate action on behalf of Prairie farmers pushed aside by the Harper government in its arbitrary dismantling of the Canadian Wheat Board.

“We know who the real experts are when it comes to the Wheat Board, and that’s Prairie farmers,” said New Democrat Leader Nycole Turmel. “New Democrats believe in this so strongly that today, we’re putting it to a vote in Parliament.”

The Official Opposition put forward a motion in the House of Commons calling on the government to set aside its legislation abolishing the Canadian Wheat Board single desk in order to conduct a full and free vote by all current members to determine their future.

The Conservatives have ignored plebiscite votes from farmers asking to keep the Wheat Board intact, and backtracked on a promise from Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz assuring Prairie farmers that the government would not scrap the Wheat Board without a democratic vote.

“Farmers have been clear – they want to keep the Wheat Board. But the Ottawa Conservatives have abandoned all pretence of listening to farmers. Instead, they want to kick every elected farmer off the board of directors and replace them with Ottawa bureaucrats,” said Turmel.

“For the first time in history, the Wheat Board will be run entirely by Ottawa appointees without a single elected Prairie farmer voice. How is this moving Canada’s agriculture industry forward? And how is it helping Prairie families?” asked Turmel.

“The Ottawa Conservatives think they know better than farmers. It’s time they put hard-working Canadians ahead of their friends in big agribusiness, and that means giving farmers a vote. It’s not too late to do the right thing.”