It was a good trick from the Conservatives viewpoint to have choice, something they much favor. Actually no choice had a majority. As Strahl says 62 per cent voted in favor of change but that 62 per cent voted for TWO different changes! It is true that there was a gag order on the Wheat Board against trying to convince farmers the monopoly was in their interest and dual marketing of barley would have the same effect as if the Wheat Board got out of barley altogether. One choice, in fact the most popular choice, is an illusion based upon the misconception that the Wheat Board has the resources to compete with the big grain companies such as ADM.
It is probably only a matter of time before wheat too is removed as a board marketing monopoly. The big grain companies can then have a big celebratory party and invite Strahl, Harper, and maybe Harper will even be granted an audience with Bush.

Stephane Dion tells Saskatoon audience wheat board vote tainted Canadian Press
Published: Sunday, April 01, 2007 Article tools
* * * SASKATOON (CP) - Federal Liberal Leader Stephane Dion says the recent vote by barley growers on the future of the Canadian Wheat Board is tainted.

Dion told an audience in Saskatoon on Sunday that gag orders against the wheat board's directors and traceable ballots that were used in the vote have little to do with democracy.

"Because of ideology, Prime Minister (Stephen) Harper is determined to kill the wheat board," Dion said. "This is his goal, and I think he must be stopped.

Dion said if he were elected prime minister, he would guarantee the wheat board's monopoly on grain sales.

But a spokesman for federal Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl said it is Dion and the Liberals who are failing to respect democracy.

"They're basically telling farmers they know what's best for them, but they're not listening to or respecting the will of farmers," said Conrad Bellehumeur.

"We've just held a plebiscite (and) 62 per cent of those who voted, voted in favour of change. But Mr. Dion is saying that if he was ever put in a position of power, he would take those privileges away from farmers."

Strahl has called the plebiscite results announced last Wednesday "unequivocal." The majority of the 29,000 farmers who cast ballots voted to either have the Canadian Wheat Board participate in a competitive market, or stop dealing with barley altogether.

Strahl has said he will now take steps to get the cabinet approval needed to remove the Canadian Wheat Board's monopoly by August, in time for the start of the crop year.

The wheat board, backed by the NDP governments of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, has said from the beginning that the plebiscite was flawed.

It has pointed to the fact farmers were given three choices, not two; that many farmers got more than one ballot; and farmers could be identified by numbers printed on both their ballots and the return envelopes.

The board also suggested it was the subject of a government gag order after the federal cabinet last October said the board could not spend money to advocate keeping its monopoly.

"He put a gag order on the entire board to shut them up, to keep them from defending themselves against his attack," Dion said Sunday.

Bellehumeur said Dion's suggestion that the vote was tainted is "ludicrous." He said the plebiscite was run by a reputable, international firm, the question posed was fair, and everything possible was done "to ensure that producers that were eligible to vote, could vote."