A unanimous ruling by the Manitoba Court of Appeal gives a green light for the Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board to continue with their claim against the Government of Canada.
Stewart Wells, Chair of the Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board says the legal action can proceed.
"The alleged offenses occurred during the Harper administration when Gerry Ritz was the Minister of Agriculture and their government was destroying the CWB.”
He says the December 2nd ruling decided unanimously that a legal action against the Government of Canada for "malfeasance in public office" in relation to the privatization of the Canadian Wheat Board is valid and proper.
“Thanks to the decision of the Manitoba Court of Appeal, we can continue our legal process which calls for the repatriation of $150 million to farmers that were marketing wheat and barley through the CWB in 2010/11 and 2011/12. The legal action also calls for $10 million in punitive damages, and with interest accruing since 2012 the total number would be in the $190 million range."
The Friend of the CWB press release notes that Manitoba farmer and Class Plaintiff Andrew Dennis has for the past 8 years argued in Court that the Harper government did not have the right to transfer approximately $150 million in cash assets away from farmers and instead direct that money towards the payment of restructuring costs and the government of Saudi Arabia and the grain company Bunge.
The FCWB believes this seizure amounted to a “sweetener” added to the gift of CWB assets that was made to G3 Limited which is owned by the government of Saudi Arabia and the grain company Bunge. Bunge has since sold its shares to the government Saudi Arabia which now owns most of G3.
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