SASKATOON – The results of the advisory committee election didn’t surprise Lorne Hehn.
The chief commissioner of the Canadian Wheat Board said the strong showing by advocates of single-desk selling and price pooling simply reinforced his view of what farmers think about the board.
“I had said to our people on several occasions that I would not be surprised if the election showed firm support for us,” he said in an interview.
The board traditionally stays out of the advisory committee election and never endorses any candidates. Hehn said all the winners are well qualified to give the board advice on its day-to-day operations as they directly affect farmers.
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“That’s really our key concern,” he said.
Hehn also said the board is “very, very happy” with the turnout of just under 40 percent. That’s up from 35 percent four years ago and the highest response since 1978. The return rate varied from 29 percent in west-central Alberta to 49 percent in District 2 in southwestern Manitoba
Views not discounted
While the advisory committee is dominated by board supporters, Hehn said the agency will not ignore or discount the views of farmers who want the board to make significant changes.
“We have to take into account the minority as well as the majority views on some of these issues,” he said.
For example, the board is reviewing whether it can offer farmers pricing options besides the traditional initial/final payment format, without undermining the principles of price pooling and single desk selling.
He said his experience is that once the committee gets down to the serious business of advising the board on specific policy proposals, political differences are set aside and they look at issues from the common perspective of farmers.
