These comments are direct quotations from the Hansard
documents.
Jailed Farmers
Mrs. Carol Skelton (Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, Canadian
Alliance): Mr. Speaker, in 1989 the Iron Curtain fell in Europe and
democracy brought a brighter future. It celebrated the ability of people
to decide how they wanted to conduct their own lives. They buy and sell
their property and products in a free marketplace, a marketplace that
ensures they get a fair market price.
In 1996 Canadians were charged for freely selling their farm products. Now
they are going to jail charged, not by a Communist hold out, but by the
Canadian Wheat Board.
Why does the government defend the Canadian Wheat Board in its
undemocratic actions instead of our prairie grain farmers?
Mr. Paul Szabo (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works
and Government Services, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, first, the people need
not break the law to have their voices heard, and that is the point: Do
not break the law; change it.
The member should also acknowledge that 85% of western farmers support the
Canadian Wheat Board.
Mrs. Carol Skelton (Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, Canadian Alliance):
Mr. Speaker, I can say that I am one of the members in the House that has
the Canadian Wheat Board permit and I understand it more than he does.
The government is jailing our grain farmers for selling their own grain a
decade after Communism fell. The Prime Minister offered advice to the
Ukraine. He said that monopolies were not worthy of a great nation and a
great people, that we must create a class of entrepreneurs to break away
from the Communist legacy.
Why will he not follow his own advice and get rid of the Canadian Wheat
Board monopoly?
Mr. Paul Szabo (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works
and Government Services, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, two-thirds of the board
of directors of the Canadian Wheat Board were elected by western Canadian
farmers. If western Canadian farmers want to change the Canadian Wheat
Board, they have the means to do it and they should take care of the
problems that they have.
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