Ian McCreary believes his and Ken Ritter’s re-election success shows broad farmer support
for the Canadian Wheat Board’s fight with the grain companies and railways.
This success means McCreary, who represents District 6 in central Saskatchewan, will
return to the board recommitted to asserting farmers’ rights.
“I don’t think you’ll see any major change in direction,” said McCreary after winning on the
first ballot with 3,082 votes and 52.1 percent of the popular vote.
Glen Leggott, a Lanigan farmer and moderate monopoly opponent, received 1,678 votes and
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federal government proposed several months ago to increase the compensation rate from 80 to 90 per cent and double the maximum payment from $3 million to $6 million
28.4 percent of the vote.
Russell Larson, a strident monopoly opponent, received 1,155 votes and 19.5 percent of the
vote.
Voter turnout in the district was low, at 34.6 percent.
McCreary said he saw that as a product of general farmer satisfaction with the board’s
performance.
He said it also helped the anti-monopoly side, since there was a much bigger and more
expensive get-out-the-vote campaign by various special interest groups.
Larson saw the opposite. He said many farmers have given up on the wheat board system
and don’t bother to vote any more.
That hurt monopoly opponents.
But Larson said he was cheered by the general results across Western Canada. More than
half of the votes cast went to anti-monopoly candidates. And the amount of support and
activity on the pro-monopoly side has declined since the first election, Larson said.
In his own district he has seen the tide turning against the board’s monopoly, Larson said.
The first election, in 1998, saw a welter of pro-monopoly candidates and only one who
gingerly challenged it.
This time there was only one pro-monopoly candidate and two who clearly opposed it.
McCreary said he expects the monopoly debate to continue now that there are two
opponents on the board.
But he said he hopes the board focuses on its most important goal.
“Our primary business is to make money for farmers.”
