The Globe and Mail reports this hour, “A federal court judge has dealt a blow to the federal government’s plan to end the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly over the sale of wheat grown in Western Canada. In a ruling today, Federal Court Judge Douglas Campbell said the government violated the Canadian Wheat Board Act by not holding a vote among farmers before introducing legislation eliminating the Wheat Board’s monopoly position.”
“Judge Campbell admonished the government for not consulting with farmers and ‘simply pushing ahead’ with plans to essentially abolish the board. ‘Had a meaningful consultative process been engaged to find a solution which meets the concerns of the majority, the present legal action might not have been necessary,’ the judge ruled. He added that the government had to be ‘held accountable for [its] disregard for the rule of law.’”
CBC adds, “The wheat board, along with supporters that include the Council of Canadians, (had asked) the court to rule that the federal government is wrong in its decision to strip the board of its monopoly over western grain sales without first holding a plebiscite of producers.” The Council of Canadians, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, ETC Group, and Food Secure Canada were represented in this court challenge by Steven Shrybman.
The Globe and Mail notes, “Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Diane Finley announced the government will appeal the ruling.”
For Council of Canadians blogs on the Canadian Wheat Board, please see http://canadians.org/blog/?s=%22canadian+wheat+board%22.
