Rolf Penner wants his $500 back.
The farmer from Morris, Man., ran unsuccessfully in last fall’s Canadian Wheat Board director elections.
When he filed his post-election spending report to election co-ordinator Meyers Norris Penny, he requested that the names of the donors not be released to the wheat board.
MNP said it could not accept any conditions on the report, refused to accept it and declared his $500 election deposit to be forfeited to the CWB.
Penner thinks he’s getting a raw deal.
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“As far as I’m concerned, I have complied 100 percent with the regulations,” he said.
“I sent a full report to the co-ordinator. I’m waiting for someone to show me where in the regulations it says the names of the donors have to be made public.”
He said he didn’t want the names of his donors released, particularly to the wheat board, because many of his supporters have a business relationship with the board and it doesn’t seem right for the marketing agency to know who they supported in the campaign.
“It’s kind of like having your vote made public,” he said.
For those who supported pro-open market candidates such as Penner, he added, that could put a strain on their relationship with the board.
“I’m not saying there would be direct consequences, but why not neutralize it and make it a non-issue?” he said.
CWB spokesperson Maureen Fitzhenry said the board would never discriminate against producers because of their political views.
The issue isn’t over names, she added; rather it’s about the fact that Penner filed the report with conditions.
“There is no scope in the regulations to deal with conditions being attached to the report, whether it relates to names or anything else,” she said.
Penner said he received 46 donations totalling $15,116.67, ranging from $50 to $1,500. He spent $13,800 on his campaign in District 10, which was less than the allowed maximum of $15,000.
He said he was never told he would lose his deposit as a result of his actions and he wants it returned.
Fitzhenry said the board will use the forfeited deposits to defray the costs of running the election.
Barry Reimer of Killarney, Man., who also ran unsuccessfully in District 10, was the only other candidate to not file a report.
He has a simpler explanation.
“I didn’t think I had to,” he said.
“My understanding was we didn’t have to file a report if we didn’t win the election. It’s kind of embarrassing.”
Reimer said he’s not happy about losing his $500 deposit but isn’t going to make a big deal about it.
“Rules are rules, I guess,” he said, adding he will eventually file.
Reimer said he received about 10 donations and spent $5,000 to $10,000 on the campaign.
While Penner and Reimer were the only two candidates to not file an acceptable report, the Western Canadian Wheat Growers failed to file its report as a third party intervener.
It also requested that its donors’ names not be released, a request that MNP turned down.
