"I will walk over anyone who wants to keep our Wheat Board" ..... Stephen Harper

Good Day Readers:

But will Jack walk over Steve?

We have an interesting connection to this story. Anders Bruun a Winnipeg lawyer for years has represented a group of about 200 Canadian Wheat Board supporters (Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board).
Earlier this year (late February) in a session we attended he represented the FCWB before a panel of three federal court appeal judges who later wrote:

"Skillfully and with great clarity counsel for the applicants exposed the effects of the minister's (i.e. of Agriculture) decision on some of the producers rights on the issue of standing, it is common understanding that their resulting determination on standing is not a determination on the mertis of this case.'

As we noted at the time ("Is The Harper Government" ethically challenged? - March 21, 2011):

"While a partial victory for the FCWB, nevertheless, it is very important in that it represented a huge plus because The Friends were able to document in open court attempts by “The Harper Government” to secretly manipulate the last two CWB elections. In fact, 3 of the original appellants have gone on to be elected as Canadian Wheat Board Directors. In other words, the political payoff for The Friends has been huge."

But some of our Metis citizens may know Anders Bruun for another reason. In 2007 he, ably assisted by criminal defence lawyer Jeff Niederhoffer, successuflly defended former Manitoba Lieutenant Governor Yvon Dumont in a civil lawsuit brought by The Metis National Council. The decision was appealed and Mr. Bruun again won. Murray Trachtenberg prosecuted the case for the MNC. www.ptlaw.mb.ca; mtrachtenberg@ptlaw.mb.ca

Fast forward to late January of 2011 where Anders Bruun successfully defended us in a civil suit (alleged defamation) brought against CyberSmokeSignals, this site's precursor, by the Canadian taxpayer financed Manitoba Metis Federation, its President David Chartrand and his Board of Directors. Once again Murray Trachtenberg prosecuted the case (He must be developing a complex by now!) at an estimated cost of about $250,000.

If Mr. Bruun was one of those Mr. Harper vowed to walk over last time we saw him he showed no visable signs such as footprints. Matter of fact he was in good spirits and smiling.

The video asks us to contact our candidate in the federal election so we'll be sending a copy of this posting to the incumbent for our Saint Boniface riding Conservative Shelly Glover. How say you Ms Glover regarding the Canadian Wheat Board? We 'll post any reply received.

Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk

glover@shellyglover.ca