A prominent western Canadian farm group has taken issue with federal election advertisements that ran in the last week of the campaign.
The Canadian Wheat Board Alliance ran radio ads urging producers to vote for candidates who support the Canadian Wheat Board.
In announcing the ad campaign April 21, alliance chair Bill Gehl of Regina said the advertising campaign was crucial to raise voter awareness because farmers make up such a small share of the population.
However, the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association disagreed and on April 29 filed a formal complaint with the commissioner of Canada Elections, charging the ads violate the Canada Election Act.
The wheat growers complained that the alliance is not a registered third party and that any third party incurring more than $500 in election advertising expenses must register with Elections Canada.
WCWGA chair Gerri Gust asked the elections commissioner to ensure fairness is maintained by making sure that all parties play by the same rules.
