There’s no evidence to indicate Canadian Wheat Board minister Chuck Strahl has broken the rules governing third party campaigning or spending in the CWB director elections, says the election co-ordinator.
Four director candidates complained last week that the minister has been intervening in the election in favour of candidates who support the open market, and using taxpayers’ money to do so.
“He has made public speeches, issued op-ed articles … incurred travel expenses and other costs to further his political support of candidates he favours,” said a letter signed by candidates Bill Nicholson, Kyle Korneychuk, Allen Oberg and Art Macklin, all single desk supporters.
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They say the minister should be required to register as a third party intervenor and be subject to a spending limit of $10,000.
“We believe the CWB election regulations apply to minister Strahl and the use of (government resources) just as they would another group or individual,” they said.
However, election co-ordinator Peter Eckersley said that after consulting with legal advisers, he doesn’t believe the minister is violating the rules.
“It’s a tough one and I know where people are coming from,” he said last week. “But I haven’t seen evidence that he is.”
Election rules prohibit any group or individual who is not a candidate from spending any money on election-related advertising without first registering as a third party intervenor.
Eckersley said there’s no indication the minister has incurred any advertising expenses, noting that the regulations specifically exempt the publication of editorials, news, interviews, columns, letters or commentaries, which would seem to cover the minister’s activities.
He also said the section of the regulations that defines “group” makes no reference to the government.
“If the writers of the legislation had intended government to be included in the restrictions, they’d have put it in there,” he said.
Finally, the CWB Act states the minister has the authority to determine the proper conduct and supervision of the director elections.
Nicholson insisted the minister has violated election regulations.
“The minister and a number of government staff under his direction have undertaken a variety of activities that certainly favour the open market side of the debate,” he said.
A spokesperson from Strahl’s office issued a statement.
“The minister has taken great pains not to interfere in the director elections,” it said. “For instance, he is purposefully waiting until after the director elections before holding a plebiscite.”
That’s a reference to the barley marketing plebiscite slated for January or February.
