Therefore be it resolved ...
Resolutions "Carried"
Multilateral Agreement on Investment MAI
WHEREAS the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) is being negotiated in secrecy with the full participation of our federal government, and
WHEREAS there appears to be opposition raised by provincial governments with regards to loss of decision-making for the betterment of Canadian citizens, and
WHEREAS the MAI will be disastrous for the continuance of the family farm and will advantage corporations in all aspects of food production,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the NFU and Regions lobby governments to hold public information sessions on the impact of the MAI and that the NFU do its utmost to ensure information on the MAI is put out to the membership and the media.
Expansion of CWB Marketing Powers
WHEREAS 63% of prairie barley producers (almost 2/3) voted in favour of having the CWB as their sole marketing agency of export barley, and
WHEREAS the cause of justice is only served when the wishes of the majority are respected,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the NFU lobby the federal government to enact legislation that will strengthen and expand the marketing powers of the CWB to include flax, oats, canola and rye with a majority producer vote.
Freight Rate Increase
WHEREAS the federal Minister of Transportation indicated that the railroads need an increase of freight rate to be more effective under the Freight Rate Adjustment Program,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that due to the poor performance of the railways during the winter of 1995-96, the NFU go on record as rejecting the freight rate increase to the railroads.
Toll Fees - Confederation Bridge
WHEREAS Strait Cross Development Inc. signed a contract with the federal government with respect to toll fees for Confederation Bridge using the 1992 Marine Atlantic Revenues indexed to inflation,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the NFU demand that the federal government keep their promise to the taxpayers of Canada by making Strait Crossing Development Inc. adhere to the contract.
Demurrage Due to Railways
WHEREAS the winter of 1996-97 saw the railway companies, due to lack of locomotive power, fail badly when it came to delivering rail cars to elevators on the prairies and in delivering Canadian Wheat Board grain to the terminals on the West Coast, and
WHEREAS because of this delay in delivering grain to the terminals, many ships had to wait several weeks in port before they could be loaded with grain, and
WHEREAS these ships charge demurrage for any delay in loading beyond a few set days and this demurrage must be paid by the Canadian Wheat Board, and thus lowers the overall return to farmers for their grain, and
WHEREAS for years the railway companies had claimed that if only the 'Crow Rate' were abolished and they were allowed to charge 'compensatory rates', they would become more efficient at moving grain,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the NFU make representation to the CTA board that demurrage charges be the responsibility of grain carriers.
Self-Sufficiency - Food Production
WHEREAS the production of food within a country is important to its survival, and
WHEREAS food security is important to the world, and
WHEREAS the right to be self-sufficient in food production is lacking in our trade agreements,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the National Farmers Union strongly urge the federal government through its UN Ambassador to the United Nations to intervene to ensure that each country has the right to be self-sufficient in food production.
Cost Recovery Fees
WHEREAS the taxpayers of Canada should be paying the cost recovery fees,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the National Farmers Union organize a cost recovery demonstration to protest the high cost of inspection fees on farm commodities, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NFU protest the high cost recovery fees proposed for federal seaports.
Stable Funding - N.B.
WHEREAS stable funding has become an issue in New Brunswick under Bill C-83,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that if stable funding becomes law in New Brunswick, farmers be given a choice of organization, including the National Farmers Union, which they can direct funds to.
Crown Corporations & Public Institution
WHEREAS both federal and provincial governments are deregulating and privatizing crown corporations and other public institutions, and
WHEREAS the farming community across Canada is facing the unacceptable results in loss of the Crow, transportation problems, higher freight rates, rail line abandonments, and much more,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the NFU and the Regions protest to the federal and provincial governments in the strongest terms that there be no further privatization or deregulation of crown corporations and public institutions.
Leadership Training Workshops
WHEREAS leadership skills are lacking in the National Farmers Union, and
WHEREAS no organization can function adequately with poor leadership skills,
BE IT RESOLVED that every opportunity be given at all levels in the organization for leadership training throughout the year.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Executive be directed to examine some potential training projects to be undertaken during the year and the feasibility thereof.
International Code of Conduct
WHEREAS food is a basic human right, and
WHEREAS the Canadian government committed itself to implement a plan of action to achieve the food security objectives at the World Food Summit in Rome, 1996, and
WHEREAS the National Farmers Union recognizes that food security is an urgent requirement for many people,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the NFU endorses the International Code of Conduct on the Human Right to Adequate Food, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NFU urge the Canadian government to act in concrete ways to implement the Code of Conduct.
Inspection Services
WHEREAS the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) business plan indicates a shift in the federal government's role from delivering inspection and quarantine services to that of accreditation and monitoring third party service providers, and
WHEREAS the CFIA and the PEI Potato Board have initiated a feasibility study leading to the delivery of potato inspection services on PEI by the PEI Potato Quality Institute Inc., an incorporated company of the PEI Potato Board, and
WHEREAS privatizing potato inspection services could result in lower and inconsistent potato quality and disease controls,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the NFU lobby the federal government to administer and deliver inspection and quarantine services in Canada.
Bill C-4
BE IT RESOLVED that this 28th Annual Convention of the National Farmers Union reject Bill C-4, an Act to amend the Canadian Wheat Board, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this convention fully support the position of the Advisory Committee to the Canadian Wheat Board to withdraw Bill C-4.
Butteroil
WHEREAS butteroil/sugar blends is a mixture of 49% butter and 51% sugar, and
WHEREAS Revenue Canada currently classifies butteroil/sugar blends under a tariff line that is not subject to a tariff rate quota, and
WHEREAS butter products are subject to tariff rate quotas and countervailing duty applies to sugar products under Canada's World Trade Organization (WTO) commitment, and
WHEREAS an increasing number of processors are using butteroil/sugar blends imports to produce ice cream products and displacing domestic butterfat demand at an increasing rate, and
WHEREAS importing butteroil/sugar blends on this technicality is a clear breach of the 'spirit of the law' which Canada committed to under the WTO,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the NFU lobby the Government of Canada to reclassify the butteroil/sugar blends product under a tariff line that has a tariff rate quota.
Grain Elevators
WHEREAS inland terminals are being built to replace wooden structured elevators, and
WHEREAS these wooden elevators are being demolished and burnt and buried at an astounding rate by the grain companies, and
WHEREAS farmers or persons interested in salvaging wood from these elevators are not able to negotiate an agreement with the grain companies, due to liability issues,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED the NFU propose an agreement that could be submitted to the grain companies and/or demolition contractors allowing interested parties to salvage material from demolished elevators.
Control of Marketing Boards
BE IT RESOLVED that the NFU demand that a simple majority vote of producers be required to change the marketing agency powers of any commodity marketing board for any commodity.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NFU insist that all ministerial and Cabinet powers to revoke single-desk marketing authority be removed from all marketing legislation.
Sask Power and the Fraser Institute
WHEREAS Sask Power has a membership in the Fraser Institute, and
WHEREAS Sask Power made a donation, over and above the membership fees to the Fraser Institute, and
WHEREAS the Fraser Institute is well known for its opposition to any social program or collective bargaining boards which benefit grassroots Canadians and primary producers,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the NFU strongly express their opposition to both federal and provincial governments to any donations to, or membership in the Fraser Institute or other like-minded organizations, by any Crown corporation.
Changes to Dairy Policy
BE IT RESOLVED that we delete the following sections and subsections of NFU Dairy Policy:
Livestock Panel
WHEREAS the NFU values an ideal model for agriculture that includes many family farms with widely dispersed ownership of productive resources, and
WHEREAS current NFU policy invokes government action that is not realistically forthcoming, and
WHEREAS there is extreme concentration in the livestock industry at present, and
WHEREAS we want to attain power for Canadian producers in the marketplace,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the NFU table its entire livestock policy with the exceptions of the interim livestock policy and egg policies outlined on p. C-9,7
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NFU, in developing interim livestock policy, examine:
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