The Council of Canadians will intervene in a legal challenge against the Harper government on its C-18 legislation.
The Federal Court’s decision stated, “I agree with the Moving Parties that neither the Friends of the CWB nor the Canadian Wheat Board intend to address how section 47.1 is to be interpreted in a manner that accords with NAFTA or the Charter. In my view, the Moving Parties will be able to assist the Court in a useful way, bringing to bear a distinct perspective of legal issues of public interest concerning the interpretation of section 47.1. In the circumstances, it is in the interests of justice that the Moving Parties be permitted to intervene…”
Overall, the challenge argues that the Harper government failed to fulfill its obligations under Section 47 of the Canadian Wheat Board Act, which requires a vote by grain producers, prior to taking actions to remove the single-desk marketing authority of the Canadian Wheat Board.
On November 2, the Canadian Press reported, “The Canadian Wheat Board is getting more support in its fight to stop the federal government from stripping the grain marketer of its monopoly. The Council of Canadians and the Public Service Alliance of Canada want intervener status in a court challenge by a group called Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board.” The ETC Group (Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration) and Food Secure Canada were part of this same successful application for intervener status.
The court case is scheduled to be heard on December 6 in Winnipeg.
We will be issuing a joint media release with PSAC, ETC and Food Secure Canada on this decision today.
For Council of Canadians blogs on the campaign to save the Canadian Wheat Board, please go to http://canadians.org/blog/?s=%22canadian+wheat+board%22.
