Scandal
A Shameful Action, Condition or Event that Brings Disgrace
or Offends Public Opinion
(March 19, 2004 - FFJ) The
Quebec Sponsorship Scandal and the Canadian Wheat Board's imprisonment of
Western Farmers both fit the definition of "scandal". Documents
acquired through the "Information Act" reveal shocking
information:
On Aug. 10, 1994, the meeting held on illegal exports of
Canadian Wheat Board grains was attended by Senior Officer of the Privy
Council, David Fransen, Deputy Minister, Pierre Gravelle, Assistant Deputy
Minister, Michell Comeau, Directors of Government Branches and four
Canadian Wheat Board Officials, Gordon Machej, Commissioner, Margaret
Redmond, Senior Counsel, Cary Tramley, Counsel, and Joseph L. Girdner,
Senior Marketing Manager.
On Nov. 3, 1995, the meeting held dealt with Custom
Enforcement Options for illegal exports of wheat and barley. The options
discussed were increased penalties, enhanced R.C.M.P. commitment and that
enormous amounts of grain were exported into the U.S. by accredited Wheat
Board Exporters through Fort Frances and Thunder Bay without the required
Export Licenses.
On March 15, 1996, a protected document identifies a
meeting to be held in Washington on March 20, 1996, by Canadian Officials
asking for a long term extension of "Operation Wheatbar".
On Nov. 12, 1996, the daily occurrence report on illegal
exports of wheat and barley identifies Government Officials who were given
copies of the report.
On June 23, 1997, a meeting in the Connaught Building in
Ottawa was attended by 21 Government and Canadian Wheat Board Officials.
Clyde Bond, Crown Prosecutor, informed the meeting "that a total of
216 criminal charges had been filed against Western Farmers. A criminal
charge against Tom Jackson, an Alberta farmer, had been stayed. The S-5
charge of exporting without a license is as a result of the Sawatzky
decision, no longer valid. The difficulty with the S-3 charge is exactly
what constitutes a report in writing has never been gazetted or
specified."
On July 14, 1999, a fax transmission was sent to Peter
Sherhols, Privy Council P.M.O. Office, from the Customs Investigation
Directorate.
The questions must be asked, why did Customs and R.C.M.P.
Officials not charge Canadian Wheat Board accredited exporters with the
same violations as Western Farmers exporting grain without a license? Why
did the Canadian Wheat Board wait until June 5th, 2003, to file a
Statement of Claim against Con-Agra Ltd? Did the Wheat Board Minister, the
R.C.M.P. and Customs Officials mislead Parliament from 1994 to 2003? Why
have Prime Minister Martin and Treasury Board President, Reg Alcock,
digressed from instructing the Auditor General and the R.C.M.P. to
investigate the huge income losses suffered by Western grain farmers since
1994 by the illegal exports of C.W.B. grains through Ontario and Quebec?
Do they not understand that every Canadian is equal under Canadian Law?
The fact that Western grain farmers are charged for an
Export License while Eastern Farmers receive their licenses free, is
scandalous in itself," concluded Hoeppner. |
