Whoa cowboy whoa ..... "Yip-pie-ya-aye, yip-pie yi-o ....." Ottawa we have a problem!

Good Day Readers:

Here's the problem for Gerry "Cowboy" Ritz. Section 47 (1) of The Canadian Wheat Board Act clearly states any significant change to the CWB must first be accompanied by a vote of its grain producing members.

Well, true to the sneak and creep governance style of "The Harper Government," it unsuccessfully attempted to block an Application filed by Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board with The Federal Court of Canada to enforce Section 47 (1) by petitioning the Court to have it summarily dismissed. Then it had the unmitigated cojones to request the decision be based on written submissions so there'd be no hearing open to the media and public. That sure was ballsy!

Fortunately, Anders Bruun counsel to FCWB quickly wrote to The Federal Court objecting to the government's actions. As a result there will be a special public sitting of the FCC held at its 4th Floor Courtroom 363 Broadway Avenue beginning at 9:30 a.m. Friday, September 9, 2011.

Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk
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Wheat Board vote deadline arrives
CBC News
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
The Wheat Board will count plebiscite ballots in September. CBC

Wednesday was the deadline for farmers to mail in votes in the Canadian Wheat Board plebiscite on the future of the organization.

Ballots sent to more than 68,000 wheat and barley farmers must be postmarked August 24, and will be counted on September 8 and 9, the Board said.

The federal government has said it plans to eliminate the Board's monopoly on sales of Prairie wheat and barley by August 1, 2012, without holding a vote of the farmers.

Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has dismissed the plebiscite. "No plebiscite must ever trump the rights of those farmers who want to choose how they market their own grain," he said in May.

But the Board, run by farmers, believes they should determine its future. "Farmers deserve to be heard on such a monumental issue," Board Chairman Allen Oberg said in a letter to producers about the issue .

A group called The Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board has asked the Federal Court of Canada to review the government's plan, claiming that it violates the Canadian Wheat Board Act.

The board said more than 2,200 farmers have attended meetings about the issue over the past two weeks.