An astute Alberta farmer posed a simple question to Harper’s rubber stamp Commons Legislative Committee to kill our Canadian Wheat Board. He pointed out our CWB is really a farmer run and financed corporation, and it has one principle asset, the single desk. His simple question was how the government could effectively nationalize a private asset without permission or compensation to its owners – the farmers of western Canada.
Our system of governance and law rests on precedent. If the Federal government can seize, without consideration or compensation, a privately held asset, as they are proposing to do with our CWB single desk, what is to stop a future government from seizing other private property?
How about seizing without compensation all the railway right of ways in Canada and giving them to the farm community? We have certainly paid for them often enough. That would surely get politicians accolades from every rural community in the country.
Sometimes the simple-minded hatred manifested by the Harper Conservatives is breathtaking, but their supporters in private industry should be careful letting these kleptomaniacs loose because their pockets can also be picked. If Harper has his way the enabling precedent will soon be there.
Video link
