A prairie farm group is going to court to challenge the federal government’s decision to eliminate the spending limit for third parties in the CWB director elections. 
The lawsuit, filed in Federal Court in Winnipeg Sept. 10 by Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board, alleges the government’s decision was enacted in an improper manner and violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
“We believe the government is again acting illegally, this time gerrymandering with the CWB director elections to favour anti-CWB candidates and their supporters,” said FCWB spokesperson Bill Woods, a farmer from Eston, Sask.
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The lifting of the $10,000 limit was announced by Ottawa Sept. 5, despite widespread opposition from farm groups.
In announcing the change, the government said it will “enable a broad debate and participation” in the CWB election.
Critics say it will enable corporate interests to have undue influence over the election by spending large amounts of money to promote certain candidates.
This will be the second time FCWB has gone to Federal Court to challenge the federal government on issues relating to the CWB.
In 2007, the group launched a lawsuit, in conjunction with the CWB and the governments of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, that successfully prevented the government from removing the CWB’s monopoly on barley through regulation rather than legislation.
In a 2004 case involving federal election rules, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that third party election spending limits serve to protect democracy and the public good. FCWB officials said they believe that decision can be used a precedent for their case.
A prairie farm group is going to court to challenge the federal government’s decision to eliminate the spending limit for third parties in the CWB director elections.
The lawsuit, filed in Federal Court in Winnipeg Sept. 10 by Friends of the Canadian Wheat Board, alleges the government’s decision was enacted in an improper manner and violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
“We believe the government is again acting illegally, this time gerrymandering with the CWB director elections to favour anti-CWB candidates and their supporters,” said FCWB spokesperson Bill Woods, a farmer from Eston, Sask.
The lifting of the $10,000 limit was announced by Ottawa Sept. 5, despite widespread opposition from farm groups.
In announcing the change, the government said it will “enable a broad debate and participation” in the CWB election.
Critics say it will enable corporate interests to have undue influence over the election by spending large amounts of money to promote certain candidates.
This will be the second time FCWB has gone to Federal Court to challenge the federal government on issues relating to the CWB.
In 2007, the group launched a lawsuit, in conjunction with the CWB and the governments of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, that successfully prevented the government from removing the CWB’s monopoly on barley through regulation rather than legislation.
In a 2004 case involving federal election rules, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that third party election spending limits serve to protect democracy and the public good. FCWB officials said they believe that decision can be used a precedent for their case.
