CWB and Government Back in Court

notafarmer

Junior Member
Messages
275
Lawyers for the Federal Government and Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board appeared before the Federal Court of Appeal Wednesday.

Government lawyers were appealing a previous court ruling that found Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz had violated the original Canadian Wheat Board Act, which required a plebiscite among farmers before
any major changes were made.

Stewart Wells is part of the Friends of the CWB case and was in the Ottawa courtroom.

"There were three Justices from the Federal Court of Appeal that heard the argument. The arguments presented were essentially a rerun of the same arguments that were presented in December of last year before the bill that eviscerates the Wheat Board was passed."

Ritz says the marketing freedom for Grain Farmers Act is in force and farmers are already contracting their wheat and barley with buyers of their choice for delivery beginning August 1, 2012.
 

notafarmer

Junior Member
Messages
275
OTTAWA -- The Federal Court of Appeal reserved its decision Wednesday on whether Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz broke the law when he introduced legislation to eliminate the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly.

The federal government is appealing last December's ruling by Justice Douglas Campbell Ritz contravened the Canadian Wheat Board Act by not holding a vote among farmers to decide whether to keep the monopoly.

Campbell's ruling wasn't binding on the government, nor did it say anything about the validity of the bill.

The government proceeded with the legislation, which was passed and given royal assent in December.

In February, Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench Justice Shane Perlmutter refused to grant an injunction suspending the bill until Campbell's decision was sorted out. Perlmutter rejected the claim Ritz had broken the law.

Ritz was elated by Perlmutter's decision and said he expects the same result from the Appeal Court.

"We are confident that the court will see the merits of our case," Ritz said in a written statement Wednesday.

Stewart Wells, chairman of the Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board, called the government's plan to dismantle the monopoly "reckless and irresponsible" and said it is already costing farmers millions of dollars.

Friends is continuing with a class-action lawsuit to restore the wheat board's monopoly and compensate farmers $17 billion.

Regardless of the Appeal Court's decision, the case has little bearing on the movement of the Prairie grain industry to an open market. The appeal, sources say, is about politics since the bill eliminating the monopoly is already in effect and its provisions are coming into force gradually.

More at http://www.brandonsun.com/breaking-...?path=/breaking-news&id=153492915&sortBy=rank
 
 
Top