Two prairie farm groups have been publicly campaigning on behalf of Canadian Wheat Board candidates.
But as this week began, just one of them – the National Farmers Union – had registered with the election co-ordinator as a third party intervenor.
The other group actively promoting a slate of candidates – CARE – hadn’t done so.
Glen Goertzen, chair of CARE, said in an interview Nov. 25 his group has discussed the situation with co-ordinator Peter Eckersley of Meyers Norris Penny, but is still uncertain whether it’s required to register.
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“The issue is, we don’t know what qualifies for sure as third party spending,” Goertzen said.
The election regulations state that any person or group who incurs expenses in promoting candidates or a policy platform must register with the election co-ordinator.
CARE (an acro-nym for choice, accountability, responsibility and efficiency) has issued numerous news releases criticizing CWB policies urging farmers to vote for dual market candidates and has a website on the internet providing biographies of its favored candidates.
Third parties can spend no more than $10,000 across all electoral districts. Overspending is an offence under the CWB Act and is punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment.
Goertzen said it’s not clear to him whether spending a small amount on something like postage requires registration. He also said some of the money spent by CARE is provided by the candidates, who are already required to report that under regulations setting out candidate spending limits.
He also wonders why the CWB doesn’t have to register, arguing that the board regularly puts out information that supports the election of candidates who support single desk selling.
CWB spokesperson Justin Kohlman said the board has taken pains not to be involved “in any way, shape or form” in the election.
Eckersley said that as far as he’s concerned, CARE is required to register and the CWB isn’t.
“I am aware of two groups at this point in time that I believe should be registered,” he said Nov. 24.
“The NFU is one, and they have registered, and CARE is the other.”
He said he expects CARE will register.
The NFU bought advertisements in two western Canadian farm newspapers urging farmers to vote for candidates who support single desk selling, price pooling and a strong role for the CWB in transportation.
The ad also offers pro-wheat board farmers strategic voting advice. Those voters should select their preferred candidate and make him their first choice, rank any other pro-CWB candidates as their second choice and leave dual market supporters off the ballot altogether.
NFU executive secretary Darrin Qualman said those ads represent the extent of the organization’s direct involvement in the campaign, noting that buying ad time in newspapers and on radio is expensive for cash-strapped farm groups.
“That $10,000 spending limit is very safe with us,” he said with a laugh.
Meanwhile, District 6 candidate Ian McCreary has complained that one of his opponents has been taking advantage of his position with a farm lobby group to try to advance his campaign.
Russ Larson of Outlook, Sask., is vice-president of the Western Barley Growers Association. In recent weeks the association has issued a series of news releases criticizing various CWB policies, all of them quoting Larson.
As far as McCreary is concerned, the intent is clear: “There’s no question they’re trying to profile their candidate, to get his name out.”
McCreary said in his view it’s unethical for a group of farmers who largely live outside the district to use their resources to raise the profile of their preferred candidate.
WBGA president Albert Wagner said there is nothing unusual about Larson, as vice-president, speaking on behalf of the association.
But he also acknowledged that Larson is free to take advantage of his position with the wheat growers to help his campaign.
“He probably took the opportunity because he was running for the election, so he was a little more vocal and a little more involved in the issues about the wheat board,” he said.
Eckersley said he hadn’t received any formal complaints about the WBGA news releases.
