The Harper government is justifying its intention to eliminate the single desk selling power of the Canadian Wheat Board by claiming Western farmers want freedom of choice in marketing their grain.
This despite a recent survey that disclosed that the majority of Western farmers prefer to have the wheat board do the marketing for them.
Clearly the Conservative position is based on socalled “free market” ideology.
This raises the question as to whether Harper is prepared to apply this same ideology to Canadian dairy producers?
Will the Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC), which sets quality standards and stabilizes the production and pricing of milk in Canada, be the next target?
Giving dairy producers freedom of choice will release them from production quotas and price set by the CDC.
Under the terms of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) it would also open the door for international corporations to move in to the Canadian market and turn a handsome profit while exploiting both producers and consumers alike.
William Dascavich
Edmonton, Alta.
