Wheat Board: 17,000 Canadians rally against Harper Government



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Thousands of Canadians this week, from all parts of the country are standing up to the Harper government, and standing up for farmers. By sending over 17,000 texts and emails, they are sending a powerful message to the government that its attempt to steamroll legislation that will devastate the livelihoods of hundreds of Canadian farmers is simply wrong, illegal and unethical.

The new campaign, Stop the Steamroller, launched last week by the Canadian Wheat Board, is encouraging Canadians to speak out against the proposed legislation to dismantle the wheat board by Christmas even though the majority of farmers oppose the decision. Through a mix of social media and traditional media, the campaign continues to grow exponentially, and is now generating an impressive over 2,000 letters a day.

“To get this kind of response in the first week of our campaign is incredible,” said Allen Oberg, Chair of the Canadian Wheat Board. “Canadians are clearly saying to the Harper government, enough is enough and sending a clear message that our farmers deserve better treatment. Whichever side of the debate a farmer is on, this is a momentous decision and all farmers have the right to be heard. The reality is, the Harper government should be ashamed of how it’s treating our farmers and our goal is to force them to reconsider how they’re going about this.”

The campaign, which includes print, radio, TV, a microsite and online advertising, asks Canadians to visit www.stopthesteamroller.ca or text FARMER to 24680 to show their support. The text generates a letter to MPs opposing the decision to dismantle the Wheat Board by the end of the year.

Despite the fact that the law requires the government to consult with farmers on any changes to the CWB, the government has steadfastly refused to hold a vote among farmers and says it will ignore the vote conducted by the CWB. Not only is the decision illegal, it’s also the opposite of what the farmers themselves want: a recent plebiscite among wheat and barley farmers showed that 62 per cent want to keep the CWB.

Help support our coverage on the Canadian Wheat Board.  Make a donation through PayPal.  Our PayPal account is agoracosmopolite@on.aibn.com. The Canadian is a volunteer-driven, and not-for-profit newspaper, with an international readership.


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