The Liberals will try to slow down the Conservative government's "destructive process" of dismantling the Canadian Wheat Board's monopoly on marketing grain, party leader Stéphane Dion said Wednesday.

On Tuesday, federal Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl fired wheat board president and CEO Adrian Measner, who had been a vocal advocate of retaining the Winnipeg-based board's monopoly.

Liberal leader Stéphane Dion said Wednesday that his party will try to prevent the Conservatives from dismantling the Canadian Wheat Board's monopoly.
(CBC)

Later, Strahl told several hundred farmers near Winnipeg that the Harper government will go ahead with ending the wheat board's monopoly, giving farmers a choice of how they want to market their grain.

But Dion, speaking to farmers and reporters in Winnipeg on Wednesday, said most farmers have told him they support the board's existing single-desk marketing system.

"If it's not the case, they would not vote for directors that are supporting the single desk. We have a democratic process, and the government is jeopardizing this democratic process," Dion told reporters.

"It's an additional reason why we must condemn what the government is doing."

Federal Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl said Tuesday he'll move ahead with breaking the wheat board's monopoly on marketing grain.
(CBC)

Earlier this month, western farmers elected five fellow farmers to serve on the agency's board of directors. Four of them supported retaining the wheat board's single desk.

Dion has said that if he is elected prime minister, he would work to reverse any changes the Conservatives make to the board.

"I'm sure it will not be easy to easy to do; I don't underestimate the [legal] difficulties," Dion said.

"That's exactly the reason why we have to slow down this destructive process that's been undertaken by the federal government."

Greg Arason, who was appointed as interim board president on Tuesday, said Wednesday one of the conditions of his appointment is that he must refrain from taking a public position on any proposal for changes in the powers of the wheat board.