Eduard Hiebert is accusing the Manitoba Canola Growers Association of
using a flawed membership list to decide who can vote during the
upcoming election of directors.
Hiebert, a canola grower and a director for the MCGA, insists the
membership list is inflated and includes the names of people who have
left farming or are dead.
While a provincial court ruling earlier this year helped remedy the
problem, he said the association remains a long way from having a list
Read Also
Increasing farmland prices blamed on investors
a major tax and financial services firm says investors are driving up the value of farmland, preventing young farmers from entering the business. Robert Andjelic said that is bullshit.
that accurately reflects its membership. He believes the result will be
skewed election results.
“I’m embarrassed that an organization could be so undemocratic,” said
Hiebert, who farms near St. Francois Xavier, Man.
But the association’s executive manager said the membership list is the
best that can be provided at this time. Bill Ross hopes new bylaws will
be passed in January that will make it possible to have a more current
list.
If passed, the bylaws will remove people’s names from the membership
list if they have not paid a checkoff on their canola sales within the
preceding two years. Those who paid a checkoff but received a refund
would also be removed from the list, Ross said.
“Our new set of bylaws will cover all of this. There won’t be a
problem.”
Hiebert said association members concerned about the irregularities and
the failure of the board of directors to correct the problem are
petitioning for an emergency meeting of members in November.
Under the constitution, the association president must call such a
meeting when at least 100 members request it in writing, Hiebert said.
He wants assurances that this fall’s election of directors will be fair
and democratic.
“I don’t think it’s good for our organization to have this kind of
airing. On the other hand, it’s much worse to not deal with it.”
Ross agreed the current membership list is inflated, but he said a
court ruling this summer tied their hands until the new bylaws get
passed. The judge ruled that the membership list that extended back to
1996 was the valid one. That list includes the names of anyone who paid
a checkoff on canola from that year onward.
Ross questioned the push for an emergency meeting.
“In my mind, we don’t need a special meeting to deal with this because
it will be dealt with in January.”
According to Hiebert, last fall’s election was conducted with a list of
about 10,000 members.
However, following that election, the membership gradually swelled to
more than 40,000 entries.
Hiebert requested a copy of the membership list but was told by the
MCGA that it was a confidential document that could not be released.
Determined to get the list, he took the matter to court and in a ruling
this summer, a provincial court judge ordered the MCGA to release the
membership list to Hiebert and to also send him a revised list that was
to be completed by Sept. 20.
Under the revised list, the membership was reduced to just under 20,000
names, Hiebert said. But he views the revised list as also being “very
substandard,” and he’s convinced that the true membership is somewhere
around 10,000.
Nominations for this year’s election of directors will close Oct. 30.
Ballots must be sent to eligible members by Nov. 15.
