Adrian Measner and the future of the Canadian Wheat Board

Thursday at noon, at the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce's membership luncheon, Adrian Measner, President and CEO of the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) talked about the future of the CWB.

The Conservative Party is determined to make major changes to the CWB to remove the single desk marketing ability of the board. Though the precise nature of the changes being proposed are yet to be determined, enough is known to be concerned that the changes being made may have a major impact on the role of Winnipeg and Manitoba in the Canadian grain trade.

The Canadian Wheat Board is a farmer board which is run for and by farmers. Canadian farmers elect a majority of the members of the board of the Canadian Wheat Board and have been in control of the operations and activities of the Canadian Wheat Board for a number of years now. The result of farmer control has been a board which is more responsive to the needs of Canadian farmers.

As I travel around rural Manitoba, I have a sense that continuing efforts to change and improve the Canadian Wheat Board are needed, particularly to facilitate the development of food processing industries on the Canadian prairies. At the same time, it is very clear to me that most farmers see the Canadian Wheat Board and its single desk selling capabilities as working on their behalf and in their best interests. What is also very clear, is that farmers want a say in the future of the Canadian Wheat Board. The Canadian Wheat Board Act explicitly says major changes to the Canadian Wheat Board need to be voted on in a plebiscite ( a referendum or vote) by Canadian farmers. This is fundamental to the democratic process.

As Adrian Measner pointed out, the loss of the single desk selling ability of the Canadian Wheat Board could put at risk hundreds of jobs in Winnipeg. It could put at risk the future of the rail line to Churchill. It could put at risk many economic spin-offs to Winnipeg and Manitoba that result from the presence of the CWB.

It also puts at risk the many of the benefits for farmers of the CWB. It could mean that farmers will no longer have the CWB as a strong ally on their side if the CWB is weakened or dissolved. Any change needs to be considered carefully and needs to be subjected to a vote by farmers before it proceeds.