The Canadian Wheat Board is taking no significant action against director Jim Chatenay for his participation in an anti-CWB meeting in Weyburn, Sask.
Fellow director Rod Flaman of Edenwold, Sask., complained that some of Chatenay’s comments during the March 6 meeting violated the board’s code of ethics. The meeting was organized by Farmers for Justice, a group opposed to the CWB’s marketing monopoly.
The CWB code of ethics requires directors to always act in the best interests of the corporation.
Flaman cited Chatenay’s endorsement of a proposal that farmers protest the CWB’s single desk by boycotting deliveries of durum to the agency or engage in civil disobedience.
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He wanted the board to suspend or dismiss Chatenay.
In interviews last week, both Flaman and Chatenay say the board did nothing in response.
However, former board chair Ken Ritter, who presided over the meeting at which the issue was dealt with, says that’s not the case.
“If they’re saying (nothing was done) that is not accurate,” he said.
However, he declined to elaborate on the board’s actions, describing it as a confidential matter.
“I can tell you what didn’t happen. There was no reprimand, there was no suspension, there was no dismissal. But I can’t say any more than that.”
Flaman said he was unhappy with the outcome, adding he feels Chatenay stepped “very, very far over the line” and should have been suspended or dismissed.
“It certainly doesn’t send a message that we’re serious about the maintenance or enforcement of our code of ethics.”
While he also declined to reveal what the board did, he said it was inadequate and “a total abdication of our responsibility.”
For his part, Chatenay said he was “really pleased” by the way the board dealt with the issue.
He said he doesn’t believe he did anything wrong by participating in the Weyburn meeting and answering questions from farmers, and feels vindicated by the board’s decision.
“Rod is the only one who has a problem with this,” he said. “I don’t, my fellow directors don’t, farmers don’t, nobody seems to, except Rod.”
Other directors, including new chair Larry Hill and governance committee co-chair Bill Nicholson, all declined to comment.
Despite being disappointed by the outcome, Flaman said he would file another complaint if Chatenay or any other director made similar comments in the future.
“I have an obligation to do so under the code,” he said. The code of ethics requires a director who suspects another director has breached the code to inform the board.
