Government loses court battle over Wheat Board barley monopoly

It will be interesting if the Conservatives make this a confidence motion. If so we could again see the Liberals sitting on their hands. They are not about to go to an election because of the polls and particularly on this issue. To half the country the whole issue would be mainly irrelevant! The big issue would be when (not if) the Conservatives try to take away the wheat marketing monopoly from the Board. A plebiscite on that issue might fail even if the Conservatives make a mockery of the format again by giving three choices.

Government loses court battle to crack barley monopoly
Last Updated: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 8:20 PM CT
The Canadian Press
The federal government's attempt to strip the Canadian Wheat Board of its barley monopoly was rejected by a court for a second time Tuesday, setting the stage for a showdown with the opposition in Parliament.
The Federal Court of Appeal in Winnipeg upheld a lower court ruling from last year, which said the Conservative cabinet exceeded its authority when it tried to unilaterally open up the wheat board's control of western barley sales and allow producers to sell independently.
Wheat board supporters said the ruling sends a strong message.
"I think it's a victory for farmers, but moreso, it's an establishment of democratic principles," said Kyle Korneychuk, an elected wheat board director who farms in Saskatchewan.
"It's not a dictatorship. We're going to have a vote."
The ruling means the minority Conservatives will have to get a bill passed in Parliament to make the change. That could be an uphill battle because the Liberals have vowed to fight the move.

Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, who has already pledged to introduce legislation ending the barley monopoly by the end of the month, said he was disappointed with the court ruling.
"This government is committed to pursuing all avenues to deliver … market freedom to western barley producers. We will be moving ahead quickly with legislation to give them this freedom," Ritz said in a written statement from Ottawa.
MP wants Liberals to oppose bill
The Conservatives campaigned on a promise to end the barley monopoly. Many producers support the plan, saying they deserve the right to try to seek higher prices for their grain by selling independently.
But critics — including many farmers, the federal Liberals and Manitoba's NDP government — argue the monopoly ensures producers get fair prices instead of competing against each other for sales.
Winnipeg Liberal MP Raymond Simard said last week he would ask his caucus colleagues to oppose any bill ending the wheat board monopoly, even if it is deemed a confidence matter that could trigger an election.
The court battle was the latest in a series of disputes between the Tory government and the wheat board, an agency dominated by farmer-elected board members.
The Harper government fired former board president and CEO Adrian Measner in December 2006 over his public defence of the wheat board's monopoly on wheat and barley sales.
Four weeks ago, vice-president Deanna Allen was fired by Greg Arason, the man the government appointed to replace Measner.