PM Harper answers questions at SARM

[parsley]

Grower99, The farmers stated it was a protest. They weren't stealing. Or rioting. Or burning police cars. Or looting. They notified Customs and the police. It was there own grain. And don't try and make it sound as if they were criminals. They were not.

We will count on you, grower99, to support arresting and jailing all native protesters for three months, same with all G7 protesters, based upon your view. Parsley

[parsley]

Bucket, true freedom to market was the first impediment. The second is the railways. And there will be relief coming to the system. There will be significant positive changes. A national transportation system is a huge tackle. And I realize you want it done overnight. And some of the port upgrading a are underway. As are highways. And railroads will indeed get a shaking. In the meantime , where are the contracts the farmers should have designed and completed? Where are the designated points for loading producer cars? Where are the contact people lists? Where is a webpage?

Farmers actually have all today's data. Think about that. Imagine if farmers put the stats together!! $$$$$. Updated by the hour.

Can farmers at the very least, have a virtual meeting, if nothing else, and bring a positive marketing aid to the table? Marketing grain will be only as profitable as the amount of money on the table ends up in your pocket. You must be proactive. Parsley

[westernvicki]

Or, at the very least send a little note to the CTA review saying: Mr Emerson, the cost to the Canadian economy of lost opportunity is not just felt on my farm.

Ya think?

[grower99]

That's why the courts have to be given leeway in how the law is enforced. That is why mandatory minimums don't work and are not fair. I agree with you Pars. A hammer was used instead of a fly swatter.

[blackpowder]

Parsley, I missed you.

Tom, as always thanks for the facts.

Cptn. Oblivious, Tara has burned to the ground and no matter how you rewrite history it's not coming back.

Grower 99, Sorry, tried to do the Walmart read of JT's book but couldn't stomach it let alone the price. Your other reading choices appear, to say the least, to build a large case out of very little (ghost written by same guy as wheat belly?)and seem to be featured on some funky one sided websites. You running for Wildrose?

[grower99]

What about Northern Foundation?

[sumdumguy]

The thread is PM Harper answers questions at SARM. What questions did he answer?

[grower99]

Good to get me back on track. Thanks.

[CptnObvious]

The facts are straight forward. No farmer was ever charged under the Canadian Wheat Board Act which had its own penalty section. The Manitoba “poster-child” for the border-runners was found guilty of breaking section 94.1(f) of the Immigration Act, sections 11, 31, and 153(c) of the Customs Act, and section 145.3 of the Criminal Code all arising out of smuggling grain into the U.S. from Canada.
(R. v. McMechan, March 16, 1998)
In Lethbridge a dozen people were also convicted of violating several sections of the Customs Act for refusing to do what every other exporter of products from Canada does: present an export licence to Canada Customs. These convictions included: failure to report exporting goods, evading the payment of duties, and illegally removing lawfully seized property.
(R. v. Duffy, May 17, 2001 AB Court of Appeal 124)
Rather than pay small fines many of them chose to spend a few hours in jail while loudly proclaiming the Wheat Board had put them there. In fact they had put themselves there by willfully and deliberately violating many Canadian laws, then being convicted in a court of law and being sentenced by a judge. Since the Canadian judicial system is independent, the Wheat Board had no control over the process.
Export Licences are required under the Customs Act and are administered by various agencies which issue licences under the authority of the Customs Act. An Alberta oil producer would get such a licence as would a car manufacturer. For grain, the Wheat Board normally issued export licences to farmers who used the CWB’s no-cost “Producer Direct Sales Program” to export their own grain.
However, Prime Minister Harper has done more than spread misinformation and pardon a few malcontents. Among the many charges this group faced, several included removing their lawfully impounded vehicles from the Canada Customs impound lot. The evidence at trial showed they ignored the unarmed Canada Customs Officers as they drove off.
To quote Madam Justice C.L. Kenny’s judgement: “the Appellants were properly charged for violating section 114 of the Customs Act. The trial judge found that customs officers, acting in the scope of their duties, did seize the vehicles, and that the Appellants did willfully evade the customs officers attempts to place those vehicles into custody.” (Harrison v. Canada, Feb. 1998 ABQB 138)

[CptnObvious]

I wasn't there, all I have to rely on are legal decisions and the reports of others.