February 1, 2008
News release
Withdraw Conservative bill that threatens Canadian grain producers and valuable exports
Ottawa - The federal government should withdraw amendments to the Grain Act in Bill C-39 because it will hurt grain producers and it ignores the unanimous advice from an all-party Commons committee, according to the Agriculture Union – PSAC.
The Conservative government’s proposed legislation will gut the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC), the independent body that provides essential services to grain producers. Bill C-39 will be debated for the first time in Parliament today.
The legislation ignores the recommendation of an all–party committee by immediately and aggressively cutting the CGC’s regulatory responsibilities and services. After extensive study, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture recommended that the Commission receive increased funding to ensure that the essential services it offers to grain producers can be sustained.
“Instead of heeding the advice of politicians from all parties, the Conservative government is putting the future of farmers and of all Canadians who benefit from the grain trade at risk. This bill should be withdrawn and fixed before it is debated in Parliament,” said Bob Kingston, Executive Vice President of Agricultural Union - PSAC.
Bill C-39 will eliminate mandatory weighing and inspection by the Grain Commission which ensures that grains of different quality can be segregated, to protect higher grades from being diluted by lower quality grain. Farmers of high quality product stand to lose the premium paid by international buyers and Canada’s reputation as a producer of highest quality grain will be threatened.
Once this “quality incentive” to ship Canadian grain separate from American grain is lost, Canadian grain will be shipped overland, mixed with the lower quality American product and shipped through US ports threatening the Canadian transportation network, ports and other sectors that thrive on grain exports.
C-39 also ends the Commission’s key role in determining payments to farmers and protecting them from financial harm in the event of grain buyer bankruptcy or refusal to pay.
“This government appears to be willing to put one of our country’s most important export sectors at risk” said Patty Ducharme, Executive Vice-President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. “While we are concerned about the impact on our members who provide important services at the Canadian Grain Commission – more than 200 stand to lose their jobs, the long term damage C-39 will do to grain producers and Canada’s international reputation is a far greater threat to the future of our members and all Canadians.”
The Agriculture Union is over 9,000 members from coast-to-coast-to coast who share one common goal: to serve and protect the public interest. The Union represents most of the people who work at the Canadian Grain Commission. Our members are front-line defenders of public health, supporters of sustainable agriculture and guardians of a secure food chain.
For more information:
Bob Kingston
Executive Vice President
Agriculture Union – PSAC
613-560-4306 office
613-882-2607 cell
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Date Modified : 2008/07/30
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