SASKATOON – Some of the largest farm supply companies on the Prairies are caught in the crosshairs of an anti-gun law boycott.
The boycott organizers hope that by hitting grain companies and chemical manufacturers in the pre-seeding spending surge, farmers can force companies to eliminate donations to the Liberal party that brought in the new federal gun law.
“What we say to these companies is that you’re taking away the role of representative democracy from ordinary people,” said Timothy Losey, the executive director of Albertans Aiming For Truth, an anti-gun law organization.
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“We hope to have some of these businesses at least a little gun-shy about forking out any money when the Liberal party fundraisers come around,” he said.
The Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation, a hunters’ organization, recently raised more than $40,000 to fight the Liberals in the next election, said executive director Ed Begin.
Begin told about 400 people at a recent meeting they must let their children and grandchildren know it is better to lose an arm or leg than to ever cast another Liberal vote.
Albertans Aiming For Truth has sent out a boycott list naming all the agricultural companies they could find that donated money to the Liberal party.
On the list are four grain companies – Cargill, Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, Alberta Wheat Pool, United Grain Growers – and some chemical manufacturers including Monsanto, DuPont and Dow.
Donations range from $180.65 by UGG to $19,557 by Dow Chemical.
But political party donations come in different guises, said one Sask Pool spokes-person.
“We do not in any way, shape or form make any direct contributions to any political parties,” said Murray Brick, who oversees the pool’s policy on donations. “The policy of Saskatchewan Wheat Pool is to be non-partisan.” The pool is listed as having donated $395.68.
Attend speeches
The grain company got on the contribution list by attending speeches given by Liberal politicians such as prime minister Jean ChrŽtien and agriculture minister Ralph Goodale, Brick said. Part of the ticket price is funneled to party donations.
The pool has asked all political parties to charge them for dinner and not channel funds into political donations, but the parties have all refused.
Cargill, listed at having donated $7,800 to the Liberal cause, is a direct contributor to the party and proud of its political contributions.
“Although (being on the boycott list) is not something we’ll cheer about, we’re pretty comfortable with support for the various political parties,” said Cargill Ltd. executive Barb Isman.
“It is in recognition of the support for the political process in this country” that companies like Cargill make political donations, she said.
Isman said companies in Canada don’t expect to gain influence with governments through their donations.
“All you’re doing is supporting the political system,” Isman said. “I wouldn’t stack us up beside three voters in terms of influence.”
Corporate cash important
But Losey thinks corporations have great influence over political parties, because those parties need the money. If parties weren’t receiving corporate cash, they would have to listen to public opinion more closely, he said.
The gun law was passed because the government didn’t need to listen to the outrage of groups like his own, said Losey.
The main purpose of the agricultural boycott is to let companies know what their customers think of political contributions. He said it may not be possible to refuse to buy from all the companies on the list, but farmers should make their feelings known.
Losey said he recognizes small contributions made by UGG, Saskatchewan Wheat Pool and Alberta Wheat Pool are minor compared to those of Monsanto, Dow and Cargill, but “it wouldn’t be fair to draw some arbitrary line … That’s not impartial.”
