Nineteen farmers want to be elected to the Canadian Wheat Board’s board of directors.
Nominations for this fall’s vote closed at 6 p.m. Central Daylight Savings time on Oct. 20.
The list of those running includes two incumbents, two who have previously run unsuccessfully and 15 newcomers.
In each of the five districts holding elections, farmers will be able to choose between candidates who support the CWB’s single desk marketing system and those who want to replace the single desk with an open market and a voluntary CWB.
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Here are candidates nominated:
- District 2 – Jeff Nielsen, Olds Alta.; Gerald Pilger, Ohaton, Alta.
- District 4 – Sam Magnus, Luseland, Sask.; Walter Suntjens, Hanna, Alta.; Bill Woods, Eston, Sask.
- District 6 – Wayne Bacon, Kinistino, Sask.; Cam Goff, Hanley, Sask.; Gerrid Gust, Davidson, Sask., Doyle Wiebe, Langham, Sask.
- District 8 – Paul Beingessner, Truax, Sask.; Rod Flaman, Edenwold, Sask.; Phil Lewis, Moose Jaw, Sask.; Lonny McKague, Ogema, Sask; David Schnell, Kenosee Lake, Sask.
- District 10 – Rolf Penner, Morris, Man.: Barry Reimer, Killarney, Man.: Curtis Sims, MacGregor, Man.; Bill Toews, Kane, Man.; Harvey Vaags, Dugald, Man.
The two incumbents are Flaman in District 8 and Toews in District 10. Incumbents Jim Chatenay (2), Ken Ritter (4) and Ian McCreary (6) have completed the maximum three terms in office.
Gust and Beingessner have run previously in Districts 6 and 8 respectively.
Many observers have said this election is crucial to the future of the CWB.
Single desk supporters currently hold a slim 8-6 majority on the 15-member board. Eight of the 10 elected producers are single desk supporters, while two elected directors and all four government-appointees support the open market. The chief executive officer is not committed to one side or the other
Of the five directorships up for election, four are held by single desk supporters. If open marketers win two of the five seats up for grabs, the split would be 7-7, forcing the CEO to breaks ties on contentious single-desk related issues. If they were to win three of the five, they would take control of the board.
As of Oct. 20, the election co-ordinator Meyers Norris Penny has sent out about 31,000 ballots to farmers who automatically met the eligibility criteria of growing one of the seven major grains in the current or previous crop year.
Farmers who don’t receive a ballot but meet the criteria have until Nov. 14 to request one.
The eligibility rules are the subject of a lawsuit launched by a group of farmers. The suit claims the government has violated the CWB Act by introducing new voting rules that disqualify some producers and include others.
The Federal Court of Canada was expected to rule later this week on a request by the group Friends of the CWB for an expedited hearing on the matter.
The group has said if the case is not decided until after the election, and if it goes in FCWB’s favour, it may seek to have the election results overturned.
In another lawsuit, FCWB is asking the court to declare illegal the government’s elimination of a $10,000 election spending limit for third parties.
Election co-ordinator Ian Craven of MNP said his group has not been affected by the court cases.
However, he said that could change if either case was successful.
As of last week, two groups had registered as third parties in the election, the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association and Grain Growers of Canada. Both support the introduction of an open market.
