Plebiscite by province sends strong message to Ottawa
Winnipeg (18 Jan. 2007) - Manitoba farmers have sent a decisive message to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his federal cabinet by voting strongly in favour of retaining the monopoly of the Canadian Wheat Board to market wheat and barley on their behalf.
About 70% of farmers who voted in the plebiscite said they want to keep the status quo on wheat, while 62% voted the same way in the case of barley. About 65% of eligible farmers participated in the vote.
Agriculture Minister Rosann Wowchuk called the referendum because the federal government has been working actively to undermine the role that the wheat board has played for decades in Canadian agriculture.
A federal plebiscite on the marketing of barley is planned by Ottawa between Jan. 31 and March 6. However, Chuck Strahl, the federal agriculture minister, has not scheduled a similar plebiscite on the marketing of wheat.
The 340,000-member National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is among the many groups supporting the wheat board. Not only has the board served farmers well for generations, it also stands as an enduring symbol of effective public policy. NUPGE
More information:
- The Harper Conservatives and the politics of Canadian wheat
- Harper Conservatives fire Canadian Wheat Board president
- NUPGE joins campaign to save the Canadian Wheat Board
- Join the National Farmers Union campaign to save the Canadian Wheat Board
- Why workers everywhere should support the Canadian Wheat Board
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