The House resumed consideration of the motion of Mr. Ritz (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board), seconded by Ms. Oda (Minister of International Cooperation), — That Bill C-18, An Act to reorganize the Canadian Wheat Board and to make consequential and related amendments to certain Acts, be now read a second time and referred to a legislative committee;
And of the amendment of Mr. Martin (Winnipeg Centre), seconded by Mr. Atamanenko (British Columbia Southern Interior), — That the motion be amended by deleting all the words after the word “That” and substituting the following:
“this House decline to give second reading to Bill C-18, An Act to reorganize the Canadian Wheat Board and to make consequential and related amendments to certain Acts, because it: (a) fails to respect the will of the majority of prairie farmers who have expressed a desire to maintain the current composition and structure of the Canadian Wheat Board; (b) ignores the fact that the Canadian Wheat Board is funded, controlled, and directed by Canadian farmers and removes their autonomy to maximize prices and minimize risks in the western wheat and barley market; and (c) makes sweeping decisions on behalf of prairie farmers by eliminating the single-desk system that has provided prairie farmers strength and stability for nearly 70 years”;
And of the subamendment of Mr. Goodale (Wascana), seconded by Mr. Valeriote (Guelph), — That the amendment be amended by adding after the words “70 years” the following:
“, including specifically the elimination of the Canadian Wheat Board’s role in managing transportation logistics and thereby leaving farmers without an effective voice with respect to rail service levels and freight rates; and (d) breaches section 47.1 of the Canadian Wheat Board Act”.
The debate continued.