:hnpatiptia a nese The storm of protest is growing against Grains and Oilseeds Minister Charles May- er’s decision to end marketing of oats by the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB), a decision that has been seen as closely linked to the Canada-US. trade deal. Mayer has maintained that the move was made only because oats represents less than one per cent of the grain sold by the board and is therefore better left to the private grain trade, But most prairie farmers, deeply con- cerned that the free trade deal means an attack on orderly marketing of their pro- ducts, see the decision as the thin edge of the wedge. Reductions of the CWB’s jurisdic- tion and powers could ultimately lead to its elimination. That would meet the demands of agribusiness on both sides of the Canada- USS. border, in line with the FTA. In the past, farmers have had to approve the addition of new grains to the CWB bya 60 per cent majority vote. But this time there was no vote on deletion of a grain — and not even any consultation with farm organ- izations. Most major farm . groups are opposed to Mayer’s decision, including the Prairie Wheat Pools, the National Farmers Union, the Canadian Federation of Agri- culture, the Keystone Agricultural Produc- ers in Manitoba. The CWB’s Advisory Committee, elected by farmers, has called for Mayer’s resignation. Grassroots protest are carrying the demands further. Two of the first meetings of farmers called in Saskatchewan by the board took place in Herbert and Gull Lake on Feb. 13. Both meetings voted over- whelmingly to call for reversal of the deci- sion and also to add canola to the CWB’s jurisdiction. Another meeting in Manitoba voted 117-46 to return oats to the CWB. The Gull Lake meeting also demanded Mayer’s resignation, with only one farmer voting against the motions. One NFU leader in the area, Joyce Neufeld of Wal- Canada Farmers resisting Tories’ free trade attack on Wheat Board deck, reports that NFU members and other farmers are circulating petitions on the issue, and intend to keep up the fight at other farm meetings. NFU activists have been busy elsewhere in the province, including around Yorkton. Several rural municipalities in the area have added their voices to the forces opposed to Mayer’s decision. NFU district 4 director Victor Berezowski, from Pelly, said in a Yorkton Enterprise interview that a number of local farmers have been boycot- ting Cargill Grain, the U.S.-based monop- oly, and United Grain Growers, which speaks for the interests of the small minority of wealthy grain producers, for supporting Mayer, and that many more will follow suit. Oats have never been a major crop on the prairies, likely the reason it was chosen by the federal Tories to begin undermining the CWB. About three million tonnes are grown in an average year (compared to 24 million tonnes of wheat and 12 million of barley), of which 90 per cent are used in Canada for livestock feed. But oat prices have jumped recently, thanks to poor crops in Scandinavia and the U.S.as well as grow- ing interest in the crop’s health food proper- ties. : Individuals and companies are “in markets for short-term gains,” said CWB Chief Commissioner Desmond Jarvis at the Alberta Wheat Pool annual meeting last November. He stressed the Board’s “long-term” commitment to marketing oats, perhaps aware of Tory intentions. He also rejected the argument that the U.S. market is “frag- mented” and thus more suitable for private traders, pointing out that over 60 per cent of Canadian oats sold to the U.S. is for human consumption, and that “‘in the heavily con- centrated U.S. milling industry, with only four major players, our producers may be better served by a central selling agency such as the CWB.” Others have begun to point out another flaw in arguments by Mayer and his backers. A Western Producer opinion piece by editor Keith Dryden, for example, quotes Western Canadian Wheat Growers president Harvey McEwen, who says the CWB works best for “high volume, politi- cally motivated crops that move directly from one agency to another. Dryden calls that a “good argument to have canola move under the board’s jurisdiction.” Ih the same Feb. 9 issue, U of Saskatche- wan agricultural economist Hartley Furtan and James Leibfried, while backing the removal of oats, argue strongly that canola “should be under the board system,” because it “‘appears to be in a take-off posi- tion for broadening and expanding export market outlets ... the assurance of conti- nuity of supply, with private ‘pooling for producers, under a board system, would be a strong plus with many end-users who have to choose from several competing products and sources,” they say. Farmers are certainly picking up on this angle to go on the offensive, as the meetings in southwestern Saskatchewan are showing. It may turn out that in attempting to weaken the Canadian Wheat Board, Mayer also unwittingly sparked a campaign by farmers to expand the CWB’s powers. The events of recent months, such as the opposi- tion to free trade shown by Saskatchewan farmers during the federal election, and the rising anger over the oats decision, show the federal Tories won’t have an easy time imposing their agenda in western Canada. Textile union caught in the middle as gov't moves to cut more tariffs OTTAWA — Canada’s textile industry appears to be the latest victim of Brian Mul- roney’s free trade deal with the U.S. Indus- try leaders are worried; union leaders are caught in a bind. The federal government has just asked the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT), a newly-formed quasi-judicial body, for a report and recommendations on how the import tariffs which currently pro- tect the industry and its approximately 60,000 workers across the country, can be reduced. It appears Finance Minister Michael Wil- son wants the CITT to find ways of bringing Canada’s tariffs on imported textiles into line with those imposed by the U.S. and European Economic Community. Currently, Canada’s textile tariffs on average are almost double those imposed by the U.S., and about triple the EEC’s rate. Textile imports are also restricted under bilateral agreements Canada has signed with many Third-World countries supply- ing low-cost fabric. Approximately 50 per cent of the total - fabric used by Canadian manufacturers is imported. Of that, about 44 per cent comes from the U.S., 21 per cent from the EEC, and 7 per cent from Asia. Canadian textile firms are frightened by the proposition of tariff cuts, which they say 6 Pacific Tribune, February 27, 1989 & Canadian textile firms are fightened by tariff cuts, another blow aimed at them by free trade deal. g cag Tg I a a hh ia ee ae Ey is another blow aimed against them by the free trade deal. Eric Barry, president of the Canadian Textile Institute, says he’s concerned. “By the time we get to the end of the free trade phase-in period with the United States,” he told the Financial Post, “about 60-70 per cent of textile imports will be coming into Canada duty-free. We see the tribunal study as possibly leading to reductions in tariffs - on the remaining 30 per cent.” Union spokespersons find themselves straddling a difficult fence. ‘““We’re caught in the middle,’ John Alleruzzo, Canadian Director of the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACT WU) told the Tribune (the ACT WU has members in both the textile and clothing industry). “On the one hand, the consequences of this move will probably benefit our workers in the clothing industry, of which there are about 110,000 across Canada,” he said. “We'll be receiving more fabric, and so we can look towards more hours and more jobs to clothing workers.” In addition, he said, the free trade deal will allow Canadian clothing manufacturers to export more freely to the U.S. But on the other hand, he warned, workers in the textile sector can probably expect tough times and a loss of jobs. “The two industries have been arguing over the issue for the past 10 years”, the ACTWU Canadian director pointed out. “‘I’d rather not comment right now until we can more closely determine the specific impact.” Alleruzzo’s dilemma can be seen from the reaction of clothing manufacturers, who have been pressing for this kind of move. Michael Teeter, executive vice-president of the Canadian Apparel Manufacturers Insti- tute, says his members hopes the tribunal inquiry will result in fast tariff reductions for fabric not made in Canada. The Canadian International Trade Trib- unal was formed last Jan. 1 — obviously as a front to deflect direct criticism of govern- ment trade and tariff policy. It is an amal- gamation of the Canadian Import Tribunal, the Textile and Clothing Board, and the Tariff Board. As well as assuming the func- tions of the three, the CITT will conduct trade-related inquiries for the government, and at industry’s request. New ‘Peace Agenda’ urged The Canadian Peace Congress announ- ced plans last week to replace the White Paper on Defence with a “comprehen- sive Peace Agenda for Canada.” In a statement released by the Con- E gress executive board following a week- end meeting, the national peace groups _ sees a two-sided agenda for Canada. “Canada must evolve positive policies as an independent state to deal with the _ effects of the world debt crisis within — which lie the seeds of future conflict and war. “At home, Canada should actively develop programs for conversion of mil- itary production to socially useful sphere of activity, activities which are not only safer, but are economically more viable — and provide for higher levels of employ- ment and social benefits.” USSR exchange with Sudbury Sudbury’s Laurentian University has — signed an agreement with Tyument Uni- versity in the Soviet Union for an exchange program involving professors, researchers and students over the next five years. The accord, which can be renewed, — states the two parties will carry out scien- tific research to serve the interests of both universities, including difficulties con- fronting northern development, teaching methods, the use of computer technol- | ogy in teaching; the link between univer- sities and industry, and the involvement of universities in environmental and land-use issues. Forum to launch Peltier appeal The struggle to free U.S. political pri- soner Leonard Peltier comes to Ottawa _ for the week of April 15 to 21. Peltier, an aboriginal activist, has been in a U.S, — prison since 1976, when he was extra- dited from Canada on the basis of fraud- ulent evidence concocted by the FBI and the U.S. government. Peltier had come to Canada following an FBI-U.S. Army armed assault on the Pine Ridge reserva- tion in South Dakota. The raid was the culmination of four years of persecution directed against the reservation, in which 200 violent deaths and assaults took place due to US, government and FBI involvement. Pelt- ier was accused of taking part in the killing of two FBI agents. An Ottawa forum to press for the start of full-scale legal action in Canada on Peltier’s behalf will take place on April — 17 as part of the week-long event. Organ- ized by the Leonard Peltier Canadian — Defence Committee (LPCDC), the Ottawa forum will see a week of tradi- tional prayer, protest and celebration, press conferences and public meetings as aboriginal activists and elders, lawyers and supporters gather. The LPCDC is faced with tremendous : strains on irequests for information and letters of support should be sent to: — LPCDC, 43 Chandler Dr., Scarbo- rough, Ont. MIG 1Z1.