Western Barley Growers Association (WBGA) is very disappointed by the hoist motion put forth by Alex Atamanenko, NDP Agriculture Critic, to delay Bill C-13 from proceeding to Committee for debate and prevent any input from producers on the proposed changes to the CGC Act.
If the Bill is hoisted, there is no chance of it being reintroduced in this session. “This delaying tactic is not acceptable”, said Brian Otto, President of the WBGA. “The Act is thirty years old and in critical need of updating. In today’s fragile economic conditions, producers cannot continue to be encumbered by an archaic Act that increases our costs and affects our ability to compete in the world marketplace. The WBGA, along with other producers organizations, were looking forward to offering our grassroots input to the discussions concerning the proposed changes to modernize this Act”.
The Government has said that it was willing to work with the Opposition and the industry to put together the best Bill possible for farmers and the entire grain industry. “If the Bill is hoisted, the opportunity for debate and discussion will be lost”, continues Otto. “The WBGA has to ask the opposition parties why they are unwilling to allow this discussion to proceed. This appears to be political opportunism in an attempt to embarrass the Conservatives and promote their own party images, all at the expense of Western Canadian Producers.
We encourage all parties to defeat this hoist motion and allow the Bill to proceed to Committee so that producer groups and the grain industry can contribute to the debate. This will allow all of us to work towards a Bill that best benefits farmers and the industry. If we don’t do it now, it will just have to be done all over again with a new Bill later, and meantime farmers will continue to pay the costs of waiting for change,” said Otto.
