April 1, 2009
News release
Tory bill Threatens to Gut Canada's Grain System,
Study Highlights Risks to Consumers, Grain Producers
Ottawa – A study released yesterday by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) is sounding the alarm about the minority Conservative government's Bill C-13.
C-13, the reincarnation of Bill C-39 (which died when the last Parliament was prorogued) represents a concerted attack on key pillars of the Canadian public system for managing and marketing grain, says the CCPA study called Threatened Harvest: Protecting Canada's World-Class Grain System.
Measures in the bill propose to deregulate/privatize inward weighing and inspection services to the detriment of independent quality assurance and the long-term reputation for quality associated with the Canadian brand.
“Given the abundant evidence about the potentially devastating effects of rampant deregulation – whether we're talking about food safety or financial markets – this hardly seems like the time to be dismantling a grain system that is the envy of the world,” says Bob Kingston, President of the Agriculture Union.
“These critical public services performed by our members are far too important to be handed over to private contractors,” says Kingston.
Another element of the bill that seems designed to destabilize the current system is a measure that proposes to eliminate a security program that ensures that farmers are paid for the grain that they deliver. This program has added stability to the system over the years, insulating farmers from catastrophic financial loss in the event that a buyer goes bankrupt or will not pay for delivered grain.
This measure, along with relentless attacks and attempts to hobble both the Canadian Wheat Board and the Canadian Grain Commission, underscores the government's intent to undermine the current system and tip the balance in favour of international grain companies.
The current system leverages the power of single-desk selling for the benefit of Canadian grain producers. It is the legacy of decades of grassroots activism undertaken to level the playing field between grain farmers and the grain companies, says Patty Ducharme, National Executive Vice-President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. Ducharme is calling on the opposition parties in Parliament to act to safeguard Canada's grain management system – a Canadian success story.
For information contact:
Bob Kingston, National President, Agriculture Union 613-5604306
16-010409
Date Modified : 2010/01/29
