(Regina) “I’m sure the majority of farmers would support the motion proposed by the Member for Churchill, Niki Ashton, in the House of Commons today calling for the Government to let farmers decide the fate of the Canadian Wheat Board and other marketing boards,” remarked Bill Gehl, chairperson of the Canadian Wheat Board Alliance, a non-partisan group of farmers from across the prairies.

“This is really about the basic democratic principle that the people affected by a decision should have a democratic say in that decision and that is what this motion recognizes” observed Gehl.

“The law says we should have a vote and this summer farmers held a plebiscite which showed the majority want to keep our Wheat Board, yet Ottawa is not listening.  I hope all members of Parliament will support this motion to give us back our democratic rights” Gehl concluded.

Ms. Ashton’s motion reads:

That, in the opinion of the House, farmers have a democratic right to determine the future of  their own supply management tools and marketing boards; and recognizing this right, the House calls on the government to set aside its legislation abolishing the Canada Wheat Board (CWB) single desk and to conduct a full and free vote by all current members of the CWB to determine their wishes, and calls on the government to agree to honour the outcome of that democratic process.

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