NEWS RELEASE

  May 4, 2001                                                                                                               For Immediate Release

  GOODALE STIFLING WESTERN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND DIVERSIFICATION

“The Prime Minister’s plan to address Western Alienation is to kill more jobs and stifle economic growth!”

Ottawa – Today, in the House of Commons, Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville and Deputy Agriculture Critic, batted clean-up in the week-long Canadian Alliance attack on Ralph Goodale, Minister Responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB).  On Tuesday, Howard Hilstrom, Chief Agriculture Critic led off the questioning.  Yesterday, questions from Kevin Sorenson, MP for Crowfoot, showed that Goodale was poorly briefed about the problems the Wheat Board is causing for organic grain growers in the West.  “The Minister’s lack of knowledge of his own portfolio is unbelievable,” said Breitkreuz.

  Here’s today’s Question Period exchange between Breitkreuz and Goodale:

Mr. Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton-Melville, Canadian Alliance): Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the Minister Responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board has no idea what is happening in Western Canada, nor does he know what is happening in his own portfolio.  Yesterday, in question period he invited organic growers to apply for the freedom to market their own grain.  They have repeatedly done this only to be ignored by the Minister.  When will the Minister introduce legislation that gives Canadian organic growers the right to process and market their own grain?

Hon. Ralph Goodale (Minister of Natural Resources and Minister Responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I would ask the hon. Gentleman what part of the word democracy does he not understand.  The Canadian Wheat Board is governed by farmers who are elected by farmers.  We had a debate in this House two years ago to democratize the Canadian Wheat Board, to get rid of the old commissioner system and to put decision-making and accountability in the hands of farmers.  It is up to the board of directors to make those decisions.  I encourage it to be pro-active in doing so.

Mr. Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton-Melville, Canadian Alliance): Mr. Speaker, 52% of voters in the election wanted the freedom to market.  Surely the Minister knows that the Canadian Wheat Board cannot change the legislation.  It can only apply the law as it is written.  The law prevents organic growers from developing the niche markets that will allow them to flourish.  The Canadian Wheat Board does not represent organic producers in western Canada, nor is it marketing their product.  Why is blindly protecting the power of the Canadian Wheat Board more important than the economic health of organic growers?  

Hon. Ralph Goodale (Minister of Natural Resources and Minister Responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I will refresh the hon. Gentleman’s memory about the course of that legislation that went through the House of Commons a couple of years ago.  In the original draft of that legislation proposed by this government we laid out a proposed procedure for changing the mandate of the Canadian Wheat Board one direction or the other.  It was the opposition that insisted that be removed from the legislation.

  “All week, the Minister has been completely out-to-lunch on this issue.  Does he not have staff to brief him on what’s going on?  Even the Canadian Wheat Board says legislative changes are necessary to allow an exemption for organic growers,” revealed Breitkreuz.  “Organic production provides a unique opportunity for diversification and job creation in the Minister’s own province.  Creating these jobs will not cost the government one red cent,” declared Breitkreuz.  “Why do the Liberals insist on killing everything that has a chance to grow in the West?”

  Breitkreuz’s call for economic freedom for western farmers isn’t limited to just organic growers.  He has introduced a Private Members’ Motion (M-331) that calls on the government to change the main purpose of the Canadian Wheat Board from “marketing in an orderly manner” to “marketing to maximize the return to producers.”  His motion would also provide an opting-out mechanism for all producers in Western Canada.  “How long will it take before Mr. Goodale and his Cabinet colleagues get the message that they must untie the hands of Western farmers?” asked Breitkreuz.

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