The decision to hold a federal election this summer derailed plans to put tighter controls on advertising in this fall’s Canadian Wheat Board election.
The agency’s board of directors had recommended to the federal government that the regulations be changed to require that candidates identify themselves as the sponsor of any advertising or telephone solicitation campaigns for which they have paid.
During the 2002 election, the independent election co-ordinator received complaints about telephone calls and printed ads from some candidates that seemed to be designed to give the impression they were from an official agency rather than a candidate.
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The co-ordinator said the rules should be tightened to prevent voter confusion, and the board of directors agreed.
“We did put forward a recommendation to the government to consider that change, but there wasn’t enough time prior to the federal election call to put any changes through,” said CWB corporate secretary Deborah Harri.
That means the rules and regulations governing the director elections, including voter eligibility and spending limits, will be unchanged in 2004.
“It will be exactly the same as last time,” Harri said.
The election will be formally called right after Labour Day, at which time candidates will be required to file nomination papers. The results of the mail-in vote will be released in mid-December.
The board intends to hire the consulting firm Meyers Norris Penny to act as election co-ordinator, a position it held in 2000 and 2002.
