A united front

I'm not quite sure why it took this long for Lorne Calvert and Gary Doer to put together a common position on the future of the Canadian Wheat Board. But the two premiers have come out swinging in demanding a producer vote before any changes to wheat sales:

Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert and Manitoba Premier Gary Doer Friday called upon the federal government to hold an immediate plebiscite on the Canadian Wheat Board's single-desk marketing authority.

"There will be those who support the concept of single-desk marketing, those who do not," said Calvert at a Friday morning news conference in Saskatoon. "But surely we can resolve that; we can all support the democratic right of the producer to choose. I'm expecting the national government will do the right thing."...

Last week, Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl announced a plebiscite on the CWB would take place next year for barley marketing but producers will not be asked, at least for now, if they want to continue the single-desk marketing system for wheat or be allowed to opt out and sell on the open market.

"I hear people that are absolutely supporting the single-desk system that support a vote, and I've heard people that are opposed to it wanting a vote. This is actually one principle of this debate that unites farmers," said Doer.

Particularly after a plebiscite has been announced for barley producers, there's no reason at all why wheat producers should see their marketing board undermined without having an opportunity to vote on the issue. And if the Cons really want to follow through on a plan to undermine wheat farmers without a plebiscite, then those affected will have plenty of opportunity to instead make their point in electoral votes to come.