The Canadian Wheat Board won’t be giving any more money to political
parties.
The agency’s board of directors has adopted a new policy that bars
corporate donations to political parties or anyone running for elected
office.
Individual directors or employees will be free to make donations, but
the money will have to come out of their own pockets.
“We won’t be using any corporate funds to support any political party,”
CWB chair Ken Ritter said in an interview after last week’s board
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meeting.
The change was prompted by negative farmer reaction after board
officials attended a $400-a-plate Liberal party fundraising dinner in
Winnipeg earlier this year.
That triggered criticism from a number of farm groups and opposition
politicians, who called it an inappropriate way for the board to spend
farmer’s money.
At the time, board officials said attending the dinner provided them
with an ideal opportunity to talk to important figures in government
about issues of concern for western farmers.
But Ritter said farmers let the board know they felt differently.
“Farmers saw it not as a legitimate business expense but as a donation
to a political party,” he said.
“I know I got a few calls about it.”
He said the board feels strongly that it must be, and be seen to be,
politically neutral, so directors decided the best course of action was
to impose a complete ban on political activity by the corporation.
“The underpinnings of the old policy were compatible with the way the
corporate world operates, but we have to serve farmers regardless of
their political beliefs,” said Ritter.
Last year, the board spent a total of $5,700 attending political
functions held by various political parties.
To read the CWB’s new political donations policy, visit
www.producer.com and click on news links.
