Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Court rules against government on Wheat Board

At every step in their quest for the anhihilation of the Wheatboard the Conservatives have treated democracy as something to get around.

Can't win a vote among farmers fairly? Purge single desk supporters from among the farmer voters by the thousands -including farmers who hadn't had recent crops because of flood damage -and stack the deck with a bullshit 'yes, no and maybe' question that you can claim victory on no matter what the result. Can't win the battle on the floor of a minority parliament to dismantle the Board? Bypass the House and try to kill the board quietly in cabinet.

Last night Federal Court Judge Dolores Hansen ruled that the government will in fact have to win this fight democratically or not at all. The order in council to end the Wheat Board's monopoly on Barley was quashed and the Conservatives will have to actually convince farmers and parliamentarians from other parties that killing the Board is a good idea.

They've already made it quite clear by their tactics what they think their chances are of that. This fight is over for the remainder of this parliament's sitting - and probably beyond.

No comments:

Popular Posts