SASKATOON — If history is any guide, during the next five weeks some 38,000 farmers will mark an X and elect a new advisory committee for the Canadian Wheat Board.
In the five previous elections, an average of 39 percent of eligible voters have sent in their ballots.
This time around, 98,141 ballots have been sent to permit book holders in 10 of the 11 advisory committee districts. There is no election in District 4, where Mike Halyk was returned by acclamation.
There has been speculation that the turnout could be greater this time, with the election turning into a battle between supporters of single-desk selling and those who want to end the board’s monopoly on export sales.
Read Also
Trade war may create Canadian economic opportunities
Canada’s current tariff woes could open chances for long-term economic growth and a stronger Canadian economy, consultant says — It’s happened before.
Following is a list of all those seeking election, along with an edited version of the biographical information and position statements prepared by each candidate (the candidates are listed in alphabetical order within each district.)
District 1
Don Dobson of Manitou, Man., resigned as Manitoba vice-president of United Grain Growers in order to run for the advisory committee. A director of the Canada Grains Council and member of the provincial agri-food advisory council, he says the wheat board is valuable for western farmers but changes are needed to give farmers the widest possible range of marketing options.
Incumbent Wilfred (Butch) Harder of Lowe Farm, Man., was first elected to the committee in 1986 and is now committee chair. A director of Manitoba Pool Elevators, he says single-desk selling and price pooling are more important than ever. The board must also be able to adapt to meet local marketing needs, he said.
Eduard Hiebert of Headingley, Man., has been active in issues like purple gas and rural telephone service. He says the board should be “democratized” and more responsive to farmers’ needs, while maintaining the advantages of single-desk selling. The current marketing system needs improving, not turfing, he said.
District 2
Incumbent Larry Maguire of Elgin, Man., is a vice-president of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association, director of the Canada Grains Council, former MPE delegate and member of numerous farm groups. He favors simpler contracts and thinks grain should be kept moving during labor disputes. The board must develop responsive programs to meet today’s challenging marketplace.
Bill Nicholson of Shoal Lake, Man., is an MPE delegate and member of the National Farmers Union. He says single desk selling, price pooling and export controls by the wheat board cannot be compromised and a continental market would undermine the board’s effectiveness. He said the board gives producers access to world markets at minimal cost.
District 3
Paul Beingessner of Truax, Sask., is general manager of Southern Rails Co-operative and serves on the local Saskatchewan Wheat Pool committee. He says farmers are well served by single desk selling and price pooling and he’ll work to maintain the strong position of the wheat board. He says he will bring a transportation expertise to the committee.
Incumbent Terry Hanson of Fillmore, Sask., is a former provincial MLA and vice-chair of the province’s Farm Ownership Board. He strongly supports single desk selling and price pooling and says the board has become more open and responsive. All committee members and board employees must be committed to orderly marketing, he says, adding the committee should play a role in selecting commissioners and directing board policy.
Owen LaBuik of Moose Jaw has been a rural councillor and hail insurance agent. He is committed to preserving the wheat board, which is vital to the survival of the smaller, independent producer. He pledges to seek growth and improvement from within the existing CWB structure.
Donn Perkins of Rouleau, Sask., has worked for the provincial crop insurance corporation and owned his own insurance agency. He wants an opportunity to implement changes to western agriculture and says more aggressive production and marketing strategies by farmers require institutions to support programs that offer more choices.
Neil Webster of Rowatt, Sask., is a 33-year-old farmer with an extensive background in the naval reserve. He is concerned about rapid changes in the agricultural community and believes the wheat board must respond more quickly to the needs of farmers.
District 4
Mike Halyk of Melville, Sask., was re-elected by acclamation.
District 5
Incumbent John Clair of Radisson, Sask. is a Sask Pool delegate and has been involved in 4-H, the local co-op and school board. He is a strong believer in the wheat board marketing system of sharing the returns from grain sales equally among all farmers.
Robert Roy of Domremy, Sask. teaches farm management and marketing courses. He says the CWB has successfully used its monopoly powers to achieve the best returns for farmers from small localized markets through pooling. He wants the board to be even more aggressive and proactive in seeking new markets for grain and grain products.
Vince Walker of Brooksby, Sask. belongs to a number of commodity associations for canola, flax, wheat and pulse crops growers. He says over-regulation is impeding western farmers’ access to many markets. The board should focus on its marketing strengths while allowing freer access to markets that can be served more efficiently.
District 6
Bill Rosher of Eatonia, Sask., is an NFU director and Sask Pool committee member. He supports a strong wheat board and wants it to market other grains besides wheat and barley. He wants to give a voice to younger farmers who support orderly marketing, saying their support is crucial to the board’s future.
Art Walde of Kindersley, Sask. has been involved in local ag committees and conservation programs and is a member of the wheat growers association. He wants the grain handling and marketing system to be more flexible to accommodate new crops and changing conditions. Farmers should have more direct input into the CWB by electing a board of directors.
District 7
Jim Bateman of Bateman, Sask., is a former Sask Pool delegate. He says the advisory committee has done a poor job of communicating with farmers and should be more accountable to its electors. He wants changes to the contracting system, which is turning the board into the master over farmers who are forced to deliver with no price guarantee.
Incumbent Derek Dewar of Hazlet, Sask., is completing his first term on the committee. He says he will work to maintain a strong wheat board and orderly marketing system and would like to see the advisory committee take an expanded role in setting board policy.
Warren Jolly of Congress, Sask., is a director of the WCWGA and has served on a number of boards, panels and farm groups. He believes the wheat board must change to survive, by allowing farmers to contract any crop with the board or market their own grain independently and changing the pooling system to allow fixed price contracting.
District 8
Richard Nordstrom of Viking, Alta., is past president of the Western Barley Growers Association and former director of the WCWGA. He says he wants to enhance the wheat board’s efforts to secure export markets under a flexible and responsive system.
Incumbent Lorne Pattison of Marshall, Sask., says the most important issue is retaining single-desk selling. He will fight against those who would diminish the wheat board to the status of just another grain company. He also wants Ottawa to take action against the U.S. over export enhancement subsidies.
William Swiderski of Grand Centre, Alta., is involved with Alberta Wheat Pool, Unifarm and the NFU. He says the grain producer is crucial to the Canadian economy and if elected, he will work to provide input to the board on behalf of farmers in the region.
District 9
Incumbent Dan Cutforth of Barons, Alta., is a director of the WCWGA and member of the Alberta Grain Commission. He says access to the North American market is a great opportunity for Alberta farmers and must not be lost because of bad political decisions in Canada and the U.S.
Howard Paulsen of Stavely, Alta., says grain must be marketed in a way that ensures the best possible price to farmers. The wheat board has done a good job in the past and must ensure it is keeping up with the future needs of prairie farmers.
District 10
Incumbent Lee Erickson of Stettler is a director of the Canada Grains Council and a member of Alberta Pool, UGG and the WCWGA. He wants the board to develop new markets, develop flexible policies that are responsive to both farmers and customers and provide market-oriented information to farmers to help in their business decisions.
Robert Ponto of Galahad, Alta., is a former elevator agent and currently an Alberta Pool delegate. He is a firm supporter of the board but says some changes would be beneficial. Farmers’ greatest assets are price pooling, a guaranteed initial payment and a commitment to quality. Any changes to the board should be voted on by farmers, he says.
District 11
Incumbent Art Macklin of Eaglesham, Alta., is president of the NFU. He is concerned about local issues like longer hauling distances, marketing lower quality crops and road bans and has supported interest-free cash advances. Any changes to the board must strengthen the fundamentals of single-desk selling and price pooling and maintain fairness and equity, he says.
Don Wieben of Fairview, Alta., has been involved in the wheat growers and barley growers associations and served as an Alberta Pool delegate. He wants to help the CWB adapt to serve the changing needs of Western Canadian farmers.
