national
farmers union
ROSSENDALE, Man. - "Minister Collenette is charging ahead with a reorganization of western transportation based on the Estey Report. That report is nothing more than a grain company and railway wish-list. Collenette intends to ignore the wishes of the vast majority of farmers and remove the rate cap, diminish the effectiveness of the Canadian Wheat Board, and pave the way for widespread branchline abandonment. The direction and process chosen by Minister Collenette is anti-democratic, deeply flawed, and will prove extremely costly to farmers," said NFU Vice-President Fred Tait.
Transportation Minister David Collenette announced yesterday that he was committed to implementing the principles and the majority of the recommendations of the Estey Report (road costs, hopper car ownership, and ports are currently excluded). To this end, he appointed Arthur Kroeger to work with "industry stakeholders" on the details of Estey's recommendations. The Minister gave Kroeger a mere four-and-one-half months to complete his task - beginning during spring seeding.
"The vast majority of farmers have demonstrated repeatedly that they support a strong, effective CWB. In terms of a rate cap, with the exception of the railways and their closest allies, everyone understands that the retention of the cap is key. And there is overwhelming evidence that branchline abandonment and elevator closure merely enrich grain and rail companies at the expense of farmers, communities, and the state of our roads. Minister Collenette has chosen to ignore this evidence, embrace Estey, and move in a direction opposite to the expressed will of farmers," said Tait.
Tait concluded: "The National Farmers Union will do whatever it can to defend farmers, communities, and the western economy from this government-sponsored railway coup."
The National Farmers Union will continue to work vigorously inside and outside the Collenette/Kroeger/Estey process to ensure that any changes made to the handling and transportation system maximize cost savings to farmers, maintain equity, and protect their interests in the system.
For More Information: