May 17, 2012

John DePape Comments on Conservatives Vote to End the CWB Single Desk

wheat

Today the Harper government voted in the House of Commons to end the CWB’s single desk right on Western Canadian grains. With a vote of 153-120 the Conservatives have come through on the one promise that has been hotly debated in many coffee shops across the country.Today’s vote does not end the controversy but it [...]

The Group of 8 Refuses to Show A Vision for the Future of the CWB

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Today’s Canadian corporations are held accountable by their shareholders and a solid corporate governance structure. No doubt one might think the CWB as a corporation is a responsible corporate citizen in Canada. It has a policy to which all its directors sign yearly to uphold standards of governance where fiduciary duties are to work in [...]

The Problem with the CWB Steamroller Campaign

Steamroller

Forget about the fact that the CWB’s SteamRoller campaign cost $1.4 million from the POOL account, forget about the fact it won’t stop the Ritz government and forget about the fact most farmers struggle to see the point.  The real problem with tha campaign was brought to my attention while I was in Toronto this [...]

Talking to Farmers: What Do You Think of the CWB Steamroller Campaign?

Steamroller

  The CWBs latest attempt to rally support and gain a hearing is an ad campaign designed under the name “stop the steamroller”. The print, radio and video campaign focuses on a steamroller with the caption ” This is how the Harper government harvests Canadian wheat”. The ads, paid for by CWB pool funds, were [...]

Wayne Easter: “Mr. Ritz is Dreaming in Technicolor.”

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Earlier this week we spoke to Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz about why he thinks the elimination of the single desk will be beneficial to farmers and why he is so passionate about that position. Not everyone shares the exuberance Minister Ritz has over the new marketing landscape for wheat in Western Canada. One of [...]

Gerry Ritz: Who’s Steamrolling Who?

Gerry Ritz

Yesterday I attended a Calgary Chamber of Commerce luncheon. This was not just any ordinary lunch because it was attended by the Calgary ag-business community and they were all there to listen to the Federal Minister of Agriculture, Gerry Ritz.  Mr. Ritz spoke to the group about why he feels so strongly regarding the coming [...]

AgMedia Roundtable: The CWB Boondoggle Drags in Supply Management

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With the final steps toward the ending of the single desk coming ever closer, the ante continues to be upped as the current CWB board fights to gain a hearing. The extremely polarizing debate continues to cause deep divisions amongst producers, even more so in what appear to be the final days of the CWB [...]

Jeff Nielsen: “Why I Left The CWB Board of Directors”

Jeff Nielsen.001

The CWB board of directors takes yet another hit with its latest resignation. CWB District 2 Director Jeff Nielsen has made the decision to step down, a decision based primarily on his and what he feels are his constituents opposition to the use of pool funds in fighting the governments decision to eliminate the board [...]

Henry Vos: Why I Stepped Down From the CWB Board of Directors

wheat

This week Henry Vos resigned from the Canadian Wheat Board for several reasons.  I talked to him this morning so that he can get his reasons in the open and in the clear.  Whether you agree with Henry’s decision to resign, it is very visible that Henry feels strongly about his reasons and what is [...]

John Depape Comments on the New CWB Bill Presented in Parliament

wheat

Yesterday the Federal Conservatives released the new CWB bill which for the first time outlines it’s intentions for the CWB in a non-single desk world.   The Act includes everything from the repeal of the old act to the dissolving of the current Board of Directors including the release of Chairman Alan Oberg.  We discussed this [...]