Dear Editor,
In a Letter to the Editor of Saskatchewan’s Cabinet Minister, GERRY RITZ, in his opening paragraph states “The election mandate we received on May 2 is a vote for staying focused on the economy and a vote for stability.” He ends with the sentence “Residents can continue to count on our Conservative MPs to listen to their concerns and get the job done.”
His intended actions, however, are at variance with his words. The majority of those served by the Canadian Wheat Board have continually elected an 80% majority of Directors favouring continuation of the CWB’s single-desk marketing function despite The Harper Government’s attempts to influence the outcome in favour of a dual marketing system.* Despite his fine sounding words Ritz unequivocally shows he will not “listen to their concerns ”
There is no “stability” in the government introducing legislation this fall with the changes expected to take effect in August 2012, rather than working with the Wheat Board Directors and management to expand options providing individuals with choices within the system.
For Ritz the Canadian Wheat Board, as it has evolved under the single desk system, will be no more, overriding the democratically expressed will of producers. The Minister in telling reporters in Ottawa. “Everybody recognizes the complexity of this,” “It’s going to take a certain amount of work. “At the end of the day, certainly, there’s a role for the wheat board to play. We’ll have to work out just what exactly what that is.” acknowledges an unknown path is being entered upon to be carried out with rapidity.
Quite the opposite of “stability” and listening to concerns.
Yours truly
Joe Hueglin – Niagara Falls, Ontario
