SASKATOON (Staff) — Here’s what the Market Choices Alliance is telling Ralph Goodale about how to conduct a vote on barley marketing:
- When should such a vote be triggered? When there is a reasonable doubt as to whether the majority of farmers support an existing marketing regime, said the alliance, adding that’s clearly the case with barley marketing. A number of opinion surveys in recent years have found a “significant majority” of farmers want to end the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly, it said, and an overwhelming number think farmers should have a vote on the issue.
- Who would conduct the vote? Either the National Farm Products Council, a federal agen-cy with the power to conduct plebiscites, or any reputable national accounting firm.
- Who can vote? The issue should be settled by barley growers, said the alliance, with voting restricted to anyone who has grown barley in one of the past three years.
- What is the question? The alliance said the ballot should ask farmers to choose between two fairly-worded options: a continuation of single desk selling through the wheat board, or a continental market with individual farmers, private grain companies and the board allowed to sell to the U.S. and Mexico.
- How is a winner determined? Whichever option receives 50 percent plus one of the votes cast. There should be no minimum turnout, as is the case with federal, provincial and municipal elections across the country.
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