SASKATOON – Prairie farmers have delivered a stinging blow to proponents of a dual market.
Supporters of single-desk selling and price pooling came out on top in 10 of the 11 district elections for the Canadian Wheat Board advisory committee.
Of the nearly 39,000 farmers who cast ballots, 63 percent voted for those pro-CWB candidates. Dual market candidates took 35 percent of the vote.
Two of three incumbents who supported the dual market were defeated handily (Larry Maguire in Manitoba and Lee Erickson in Alberta). Only Dan Cutforth held on to his southern Alberta district.
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During the campaign, many candidates and farm groups described the election as a referendum on the future of the board. Groups on both sides of the debate endorsed slates of candidates and urged people to vote.
Those who want the board to keep its marketing powers said the one-sided outcome sends a strong message to farm leaders and government.
Strong board wanted
“I think it’s a clear indication that people want a strong Canadian Wheat Board,” said Lorne Pattison, re-elected in his district straddling the Alberta-Saskatchewan border.
Farm groups like the National Farmers Union and Saskatchewan Wheat Pool welcomed the result. Pool president Leroy Larsen said it seems clear that farmers want the board to retain its monopoly powers. Stuart Thiesson of the NFU agreed, adding he wasn’t surprised at the result.
“I kind of had faith in the common sense of the majority of farmers on this issue,” he said.
Candidates from the losing side said they were surprised and disappointed.
Warren Jolly, who finished a distant second in District 7, said supporters of the status quo did a better job of getting their people to vote. And he said the dual marketers were falsely described as being out to get rid of the wheat board.
Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association president Hubert Esquirol said he was disappointed with the outcome, but it doesn’t alter the fact that the board must change to remain relevant to farmers.
Apathy at work
He said he was just as disappointed at the turnout: “There is a lot of apathy in the country. Whether that is a form of rebellion or it’s a message of ‘take this ballot and shove it’, I don’t know.”
While everyone agrees they’d like to see more people vote, a political scientist at the University of Saskatchewan said 40 percent is not that bad for a mail-in election.
Joe Garcea said such votes usually have a response rate of around 25 percent. Civic elections are often in the range of 25 to 35 percent, while the recent U.S. congressional elections had just 37 percent.
Mike Halyk, who won by acclamation in District 4, said the dual marketers made single-desk selling and price pooling the issue and made a concerted effort to win seats on the committee. This was their chance to show how much support they had, he said, and they lost.
Committee chair Wilf Harder, who won easily in District 1, said despite the result, he doesn’t believe the debate is over.
“There are some pretty outspoken people against the wheat board and I don’t they’re going to let up,” he said. “I don’t think we can just sit back and be complacent.”
