REGINA - A group of Prairie farmers, desperate to save the Canadian Wheat Board, held a strategy meeting in Regina on Saturday that drew both support and criticism from federal politicians.
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion made a surprise appearance at the planning session as he wrapped up a two-day campaign-style swing through Saskatchewan.
In a speech to about 40 farmers, Dion criticized a plebiscite that the federal Conservative government is holding on the future of the wheat board's barley monopoly as unclear and unfair.
"The prime minister knows you don't support what he wants to do. That's why he won't ask you an honest question,'' said Dion.
"He's trying to leave farmers the impression they can have both a Canadian Wheat Board and an open market. But everybody knows you can't have it both ways.''
"You deserve an honest question, a clear question, asked through a fair process,'' said Dion.
The federal Conservative government wants to end the board's marketing monopoly.
It has started the process with a plebiscite that gives barley producers three choices: to maintain the board's export monopoly, scrap the board's role entirely or allow the board to be part of a free market for barley.
Dion said the plebiscite is also unfair because the ballots have been numbered, making them traceable.
"It's a bias because the people who want to vote with the government feel less threatened than the ones who will not vote with the government,'' said Dion.
"Traceability is for livestock, not ballots,'' he said to applause.
The speech came as the farmers gathered at a local hotel to discuss what they called an action plan to block Ottawa's proposal to end the board's marketing monopoly.
The plan includes more rallies to raise awareness, campaigns across the Prairies and forming alliances with other farmer groups across Canada.
Butch Harder, a Manitoba producer and a former farmer-elected director on the wheat board, said farmers in eastern Canada need to be alerted to what is happening with the CWB.
"We need to get the eastern farmers to understand what is going on here in Western Canada can affect them down the road,'' said Harder.
"If this government ever gets a majority there's no doubt in my mind ... that they will be looking at supply management next.''
Supply management systems cover chicken and dairy industries in Canada. The systems, controlled by national bodies and by provincial commodity marketing boards, aim to provide producers with fair returns and consumers supply at reasonable prices.
Dion also warned that supply management systems could be next.
But Federal Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl disputed all of the allegations about the fairness of the plebiscite and that the federal Conservatives would change supply management.
Strahl said the claims amounted to fear-mongering.
"It's part of the campaign to discourage people from participating in the plebiscite,'' said Strahl. "Farmers know exactly what the questions are.''
"These scare tactics that I've seen are everything from 'it's the end of supply management to you won't be able to get cash advances to they're going to come and audit your farm if you vote the wrong way.' ''
"It's bullying tactics, frankly, to farmers who do want some choice,'' said Strahl.
