A farmer group seeking a judicial review of the federal government’s plans for the Canadian Wheat Board has deflected two preliminary legal shots from Ottawa.
A prothonotary (judicial officer) representing the Federal Court of Canada last week rejected a federal government motion to dismiss a case brought in June by the Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board (FCWB).
The FCWB in late June filed in Federal Court in Winnipeg for a judicial review of the government’s plans to end the CWB’s single marketing desks for Prairie wheat and barley.
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To Darcy Haley, vice-president of Ag Value Brokers in Lethbridge, there are two main reasons for recent increases for feed barley and wheat. Haley said on March 12 that there’s an ongoing lack of farmer selling, plus stiff competition from the grain companies looking to export barley.
In its request for a review, the farmer group cites section 47.1 of the federal Canadian Wheat Board Act, which requires a grower plebiscite and consultation with the CWB’s board of directors before any crops can be added to, or subtracted from, the CWB’s single desk.
The prothonotary on Friday also rejected a request from federal government lawyers to have the FCWB case dealt with solely in writing, as opposed to an oral hearing in open court.
With those motions dismissed, a hearing date remains to be set for the FCWB’s case.
However, according to a report in this week’s Manitoba Co-operator, lawyers for the FCWB and federal government are to meet in early October to set a schedule for proceedings.
Related story:
Pro-CWB farmers aim to test Ritz’s plans in court, June 29, 2011
