Harpers Pre Depression Farm Plan

Once again the Harper has ressurected the old Reform party made in America farm plan.

Under the Conservative plan, farmers would also be given greater choice in marketing and transporting their products, including choosing whether the wish to participate in the Canadian Wheat Board.

Ah hem, they already have the right to elect directors to the CWB. That issue was resolved years ago. But the right wing rump of farmers who wanted to sell their wheat directly to the U.S. still lobby against the CWB. Forgetting that the CWB for all its bueracracy was created by farmers after the market crash of 1929 which drove Alberta into debt and our farmers into poverty as the Eastern banks swooped up their land for the mortgages they owed. Farmers in Western Canada created the Wheat Board to market their coop grain for the best price. The greater good and all that liberal utilitarian philosophy.

The right wingers in Reform wanted what was good for them, I' m all right Jack screw you...they lived in the Southern half of Alberta, Manitoba and Sasktchewan so loading their trucks and crossing the border was not problem, but transportation costs for other farmers in central and northern parts of the provinces well who cares about them eh. Also many of them belonged to the Religious right, Mormons, Dutch Reformed, etc. whose religious ideology and kinship group is linked across the border in the US. So this was also a question of ideology not just practical economics.

Notice that these same right wing sop called free marketers never challenge the Quebec farm cooperatives and marketing boards for dairy and eggs. Wonder why? Cause they have NO political base in Quebec. That would require finding a couple of selfish stupid Gentlemen farmers who read too much Ayn Rand, hobby farmed and forgot the lessons of the Great Depression. See what I mean;

"The Conservative vision of agriculture policy has been shaped by MPs in almost every region of the country who have been deeply involved in farming for their entire lives. We are stronger because of this representation and, frankly, Conservatives have a better understanding of the impact of the difficult times facing many farm families today."