Alta Legislature passes Bill 207

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie;

I got this press release;

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday December 4, 2002

Canadian Alliance Supports Alberta's Bid for Marketing Freedom

OTTAWA - Official Opposition Canadian Wheat Board Critic, David L.
Anderson, today announced his support for the Alberta government's plan to
obtain marketing choice for their farmers.

Earlier this week, Alberta passed Bill 207, an Act aimed at giving Alberta
farmers the ability to market their wheat and barley directly to the buyer
of their choice. Although the CWB is controlled by federal legislation,
Bill 207 will give Alberta Agriculture Minister Shirley McClelland the
authority to negotiate a dual-marketing arrangement for Alberta farmers.

"Ontario, Quebec, the Atlantic Provinces, and most of British Columbia
already market outside the CWB monopoly. There is no reason Albertans
should not be granted the same opportunity," said Anderson.

"Marketing choice is essential for producers to move up the value-added
chain," stated Anderson. "Right now, prairie farmers who want to add value
to their grain through processing find that the CWB's pooling system stands
between them and the profits of vertical integration. Allowing producers to
bypass the Wheat Board's compulsory pooling system would provide them with
the opportunity to capture the full economic benefits of value-added
processing."

Anderson noted that in Saskatchewan alone, 17 percent of rural communities
are now home to at least one specialty crop processing plant.

"On average, each of these 136 plants provides nine jobs and contributes
more than $750,000 annually to the community in direct economic benefits,"
continued Anderson. "Regrettably, the same economic impact has not been
realized in Board grains. The wheat mills found on the prairies are
predominantly urban-centered and foreign-owned. The economic benefits they
generate seldom reach the farm gate and are often distributed outside the
country to foreign shareholders."

-30-

For more information, please call: David L. Anderson, M.P.
(613) 995-1616


NOW I hear Chairman Ritter talking about more freedom for Organic producers on the Radio, and more marketing options!

What have you heard?

[parsley]

Sounds like whiskey talk to me!

Parsley

[TOM4CWB]

2002 BILL 207


Second Session, 25th Legislature, 51 Elizabeth II


THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ALBERTA

BILL 207

ALBERTA WHEAT AND BARLEY

TEST MARKET ACT


MR. HLADY


First Reading; March 5, 02

Second Reading; May 6, 02

Committee of the Whole; Nov. 25, 02

Third Reading; Dec. 2, 02

Royal Assent; Dec. 4, 02


Bill 207

Mr. Hlady

BILL 207

2002

ALBERTA WHEAT AND BARLEY

TEST MARKET ACT

(Assented to , 2002)

Preamble

WHEREAS the Canadian Wheat Board has a monopoly over the Canadian wheat market as the single desk buyer and seller of wheat and barley grown in the prairie provinces for export and domestic human consumption;

WHEREAS the Board was initially established as a temporary measure in response to wheat market conditions and other world events;

WHEREAS the creation of the Board has adversely affected Alberta's agricultural industry through the loss of secondary industries to other parts of Canada;

WHEREAS the Board's monopoly is an outdated concept in the world's current climate of increasingly free markets;

WHEREAS a 1995 plebiscite of Alberta wheat and barley farmers indicated majority support for a dual marketing system that would provide farmers with the freedom to sell their wheat or barley either through the Canadian Wheat Board or on the open market;

WHEREAS recent changes at the Canadian Wheat Board have not resolved the problems faced by Alberta farmers, namely, lack of compensation for top quality wheat, restricted cash flow and poor export opportunities; and

WHEREAS there is a need to develop alternatives to the Board's current monopoly;

THEREFORE HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, enacts as follows:

Definitions

1 In this Act,

(a) "Minister" means the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development;

(b) "producer" means a person engaged in the production of wheat or barley;

(c) "test market" means an open market for wheat and barley created pursuant to an agreement under section 2.

Agreement

2(1) The Minister may, upon receiving the approval of the Lieutenant Governor in Council, enter into an agreement with

(a) the appropriate Minister of the Government of Canada,

(b) the Canadian Wheat Board, or

(c) both (a) and (b),

for the purpose of establishing an open market, on a test basis, for the purchase and sale of wheat and barley produced in Alberta.

(2) An agreement made under subsection (1) must include the following terms and conditions:

(a) producers have the option of marketing any portion of their wheat or barley to

(i) the Canadian Wheat Board, or

(ii) any other buyer;

(b) the test market will be in place for a minimum period of 10 years.

Regulations

3 Subject to an agreement made under section 2, the Minister may make regulations governing any matter respecting the implementation of a test market in Alberta.

Coming into force

4 This Bill comes into force on January 1, 2003.


This looks good Charlie, how soon will it be implemented?

[charliep]

Not directly involved. Stay tuned.

[parsley]

Sounds like whiskey talk to me!

Parsley

[bmj182]

Any luck that saskatchewan grain
producers could hop the border and
sell their grain open market in
Alberta?

[eatmorewheat]

Drive East bmj182:

Open market a reality in Ontario.

We like to buy open market wheat from across the globe.

Good to see Alberta taking some steps, perhaps Sask and Man. will follow shortly. Kind of like the hog boards.

Free wehat in the west.

[Vader]

brmj - some caution before you drive east to offer your wheat to eatmorewheat. Check to see what he is paying. I suspect he will offer you a dollar a bushel less than the current PRO.

[bmj182]

I don't think I'd bother shipping east
to Ontario. The freight would be
higher than I'm paying now! I'm
about 200 KM from Med Hat, would
far rather ship west.

[parsley]

Will the CWB have already instructed the RCMP to set up and wheatsearch all trucks at the Man-Ont border for interprovincial CWB licenses in order to prevent DA producers from trucking wht/barley into Ontario, or how would this licensing work for him, Vader?

It's a relief someone like you is watching out for these young fellows and giving them a heads-up when they get tempted to head for those gawdawful low Ontario/American prices.

Parsley

[wilagro]

This Bill is another example of Klein's interference to appease a small number of producers. It is just another waste of time and money. I am sure the powers that be will listen politely to our Ag Minister and then dismiss the whole issue as 'Kleinagin' politics.

Humbug...

[wilagro]

Vader the current Pro is $l.50 higher then the real CWB price will be on Jan.1st of 04.

[eatmorewheat]

Vader:

Glad to see the "misinformation" of the Winnipeg stasni is being kept up.Your PRO backed off to central Saskatchewan is what? How Much? Payment made when?

If my cash price [farmer paid in < 10 days] stinks go to another mill. There are 11 in Ontario and they all use some western wheat.

The staus quo monopsony in the DA only offers one price for human consumption. Please explain to your captive market how this benefits their efforts to build a business and low and behold make a decent profit so the bandits in Ottawa can collect more tax from their sweat.

Free wheat in the west

[liberty]

I'll make a prediction as to how far the Alberta government will get with this bill: the Liberals will either completely ignore it or stonewall any attempt at negotiation, just as they have stonewalled serious questions about the wheat board. I hate to rain on the parade, but I think that this bill is a symbolic gesture at best.

[eatmorewheat]

and if the bill falters, you step forward and pick up the torch and carry it forward until you accomplish the task.
Freedom comes not to the weak but to the strong. Farmers have already gone to jail over this, this sacrifice should not be in vain.

Free wheat in the west