It wouldn’t be a Canadian Wheat Board director election without complaints, controversy and contention.
All five previous elections have been marked by disputes that seemed at times to attract more public attention than the candidates or the issues.
In 1998, dead people were included on the voters list, and a counting error resulted in the results in one district being reversed after a winner had been announced.
In 2000, the issues included anonymous advertising and confusion over voting districts.
In 2002, there were disputes over the role of third party interest groups and charges that the CWB was interfering in the election with its public statements.
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In 2004, nearly 800 eligible voters were accidentally left off the voters list, leading to a lawsuit that delayed the counting of ballots for two weeks.
In 2006, the government changed the voters list midway through the election period and was criticized for interfering in the campaign.
The trend has continued in 2008.
There have been complaints about secret government directives, new rules on third party spending limits, eligible voters not receiving ballots and being left off the voters list, mysteriously marked mailings from the government, faulty ballot application forms, disputes over advertising signs, misuse of the official CWB logo, concern over the role of appointed CWB directors in election-related issues, a call for extended voting deadlines and a call for removal of the election co-ordinator.
To top things off, a lawsuit now before the Federal Court of Canada could result in the election results being overturned.
“The 2008 director elections are turning out to be the worst-run director elections ever,” says National Farmers Union president Stewart Wells.
Not everyone agrees, including election co-ordinator Ian Craven of Meyers Norris Penny.
“All things considered, I think it’s gone quite well this time,” he said, adding he’s confident that when voting ends Nov. 28, everyone who wanted to cast a ballot will have had the chance to do so.
Gerrid Gust of Davidson, Sask., a candidate in District 6, admits there have been issues raised, but he thinks the election will produce a fair result.
“I have a lot confidence in the election co-ordinator,” he said. “I think they’re doing the best they can to ensure everyone who should vote is able to do so.”
Paul Beingessner of Truax, Sask., running in District 8, said there’s no question the election has been poorly handled.
“I think the biggest concern is the voters list seems to be haphazard,” he said.
Some farmers who should have automatically received ballots didn’t. Some, but not all, producers got letters from the federal minister telling them how to get ballots and many organic producers seem to have been left off the list.
“I don’t know if all this will impact the election results substantially,” Beingessner said.
Curtis Sims of MacGregor, Man., a candidate in District 10, doesn’t think this year’s vote has been tainted.
“I think that at the end of the day it will be a fair and properly run election, given the rules we have to deal with,” said Sims, although he would like to see a review of election rules for the future.
Such a review was conducted in 2005. Few of its recommendations have been implemented.
Maureen Fitzhenry, spokesperson for the CWB, said the agency monitors the situation, but can’t comment on specific issues in the current election.
Wells said problems with the 2008 election started when the federal government sent a secret directive to the CWB in July ordering changes to the voters list.
He thinks that should have been done through a public notice and subjected to review through the Canada Gazette.
He added a CWB committee that deals with election issues is made up of a majority of open market supporters.
That committee decided not to send a letter to permit book holders who didn’t automatically receive a ballot in the mail, telling them how to get a ballot, on the grounds that sending such a letter would be biased against growers who don’t have a permit book.
Committee member Ian McCreary of Bladworth, Sask., a single desk supporter who is not running for re-election, said he favoured sending the letter because it was done in the 2006 election.
