The chair of the Canadian Wheat Board’s board of directors says the board would like to see changes to elevate the role of its elected members.
Proposals that would enhance the ability of the board to manage the organization and limit the input of the federal minister of agriculture are set out in a private member’s bill moved by Liberal MP Ralph Goodale in June.
Oberg said the board discussed the bill at its July meeting and passed a motion approving it in principle.
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“There are some worthy ideas in there. There are (also) some areas, obviously, where Mr. Goodale did not touch on,” Oberg said.
Goodale’s bill proposes that two of the five directors now appointed by government would be chosen by agreement of at least seven of 10 farmer-elected directors.
“That is the good thing about legislation. If it gets to second reading, it will go to committee and there will be various representation, not only from farmers but from farm groups and those issues can have a thorough discussion and be aired out properly,” said Oberg.
He said under the CWB Act all directors, elected and appointed, are equal. He believes the original intent was that appointed directors would bring particular expertise to the board and he thinks that needs to be emphasized.
“Although all directors are equal, the elected directors are the only ones that really have a specific constituency of farmers. The appointed directors, their constituency is the public at large.”
He’d like to see farmer-elected directors take the lead on issues of interest mainly to farmers. Appointed directors would come to the fore in matters of financial oversight, he said.
At the end of the crop year news conference July 30, Oberg said farmers tell him they want more democratic control over the board and fewer directives from the minister of agriculture.
He said examples of ministerial directives were the firing of CWB executive officer Adrian Measner and the restriction on the CWB advocating for the single desk.
The issue of the government’s right to issue directives was the subject of a court case last year. The Federal Court ruled that the CWB Act gives the government the right to direct the CWB “on any matter of governance.”
In a separate case, the Federal Court ruled the government has the right to change CWB election rules.
Oberg said the board believes the CWB Act should be amended to change the balance between the government and farmer control.
Directives from the minister should be limited to exceptional circumstances such as if the board of directors was putting the organization in financial jeopardy, he said.
The board would also like the rules for election of directors to be set and not subject to alteration by the minister of agriculture.
The board is expected to discuss these issues with members of Parliament on both sides of the House this fall.
Oberg said it is not unusual for the board to meet with all parties in Parliament and it is more important when there is a minority government.
