Jail decision undemocratic, charges wheat board chair

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Published: November 7, 2002

Farmers who have chosen to go to jail as part of their fight against

the Canadian Wheat Board are undermining the board’s democratic

structure, says CWB chair Ken Ritter.

“They are hijacking the election process,” Ritter told reporters Oct

31.

Earlier that day, 13 Alberta farmers went to jail in Lethbridge, Alta.,

rather than pay fines for violating the Customs Act during border

running incidents in the late 1990s.

Elections for directors are now under way in five of the board’s 10

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electoral districts.

Ritter said the timing of the legal proceedings was “fortuitous” for

those promoting the election of candidates who want to end the board’s

sales monopoly.

But he urged farmers to ignore the emotions and hoopla generated by the

events in Lethbridge.

“I’d simply ask all farmers to look at the candidates and look at their

views and platforms and make their decisions in a responsible, normal

way.”

Ritter said the 22 candidates offer a wide range of views on all issues.

Nine of them want to end the board’s single desk status and change the

board into what they call a “voluntary” marketing organization that

would sell Canadian grain in competition with private grain companies

and individual farmers.

Ritter said farmers who want to end single desk selling can pursue that

goal by voting for those candidates.

He said the marketing agency has no desire to see farmers go to jail,

but emphasized that the farmers involved chose to go to jail and create

a public spectacle, rather than pay their fines.

He also noted that the fines were imposed for violating the Customs

Act, and he said the wheat board had no role in determining their

conviction or sentence.

One of those going to jail is CWB District 2 director Jim Chatenay of

Red Deer, who declined to pay a fine of $2,500 levied for refusing to

turn over his van to Canada Customs officials after he delivered grain

into the U.S. without a wheat board permit in July 1996.

Ritter said the board’s governance and management committee is

examining whether Chatenay’s conduct violates the board’s code of

ethics, which requires directors to act “in the best interests” of the

board and not do anything to “undermine the reputation or integrity” of

the corporation.

That committee will report to the full board of directors on whether

Chatenay’s behaviour merits disciplinary measures.

“At this point no decision has been made,” said Ritter, who criticized

his fellow director for acting in an “alarmist, grandstanding manner.”

About the author

Adrian Ewins

Saskatoon newsroom

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