CWB Electorial Reform...m...m

[TOM4CWB]

Incognito and Ontario wheat growers;

I asked Art Macklin to have the CWB consider the Ontario Board governance structure,"including an elected delegate structure" for the CWB in the future.

DH/Kw came up with this answer, August 2nd 2005:

"the Governance and Management Resourses Committee... considered your suggestion, but concluded that this type of governance model is less than optimal for the CWB. There were a number of reasons for this finding, one of the key ones being it removes direct accountability of the directors to the electorate. The Board as a whole supports this conclusion.

As a result the CWB will not be making the change that you have recommended."


VERY INTERESTING.

I thought electorial reform was a work in progress and not to be decided before the multi-provincial "Blue Ribbon Panel" presented recomendations!

I also fail to understand how exactly an "elected delegate structure" removes the direct accountability from the electorate!

Could someone in Ontario please tell me how exactly the OWPMB is NOT accountable to wheat growers!

Further, I sure would be interested in knowing the real reasons the CWB will not deal with the accountability grassroots issue... since the reason given is a red herring... if I have ever seen one!

SO folks... what would be the real reasons?

We need to talk and work on the CWB electorial issue... as the review is supposed to be in full swing!

[TOM4CWB]

Charlie:

I see that the meetings are going on during harvest!

How convenient!

The Government of Canada has established a Panel to review the electoral system for Directors of the Canadian Wheat Board. The panel consists of Cecilia Olver, Greg Porozni, David Rolfe and are advised by a special advisor, Janice Baker, the
former Chief Electoral Officer for Saskatchewan.
The panel will report their findings to
the federal Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board

The amendments to the CWB Act 1998 restructured the governance of the CWB board from a small group of Government appointees to ten farmer-elected members plus five appointed members. The issues of accountability and democracy to farmers have
been greatly improved with 10 elected Directors. Still, reforms can sometimes
create more questions and challenges.

The questions regarding the election rules and procedures that the Panel is
considering are attached.

To ensure the success of this review the panel hopes to consult with as many
stakeholders as possible.

The panel extends an invitation to your association to meet with the Panel at
one of the public consultation meetings on August 15, 17, and 19 in Edmonton, Saskatoon and Winnipeg. As well as oral comments, written submissions are welcomed as well.

In addition, the Panel will receive written briefs until September 30, 2005.
Further information regarding the review of the CWB electoral system can be obtained at
www.agr.gc.ca/wb-cb/index_e.php

Please contact J.P. Lewis at 613-759-6078 to arrange which location and the
time at which a representative of your organization wishes to meet with the Panel.

Cecilia Olver
Greg Porozni
David Rolfe


Panel to review the electoral system for Directors of the Canadian Wheat Board.
The following questions outline the type of feedback that the Panel is
seeking:

1.. Should the current one-permit book-one-vote system be maintained or
should some form of a weighted or partially weighted ballot system based on crop area, wheat and barley or some other measure be considered?
2.. Should absentee, non-farming interested parties be eligible to vote?
3.. Should the minimum voting age of be lowered or remain at 18?
4.. Should the current composition of the ten electoral districts be
maintained or changed? Should the number of eligible voters in each electoral district be re-balanced? Should the boundaries of the electoral districts be changed? Should each electoral district be wholly within only one province? If boundaries of electoral districts are to be changed, how should the transition be managed?
5.. Have you been content with the manner in which the CWB elections have
been managed? How should CWB Director elections be managed? Who should be
accountable for the process? Should elections be conducted by an independent electoral commission rather than an Election Coordinator as has been the case?
Should the Regulations provide authority to audit the financial statements of both candidates and third-party interveners? How should election rules be enforced?
6.. If you have been a candidate in the past, what are your thoughts on the
rules pertaining to candidate and third-party spending?
7.. How should voter eligible voters be identified for information of
candidates?
8.. The current criteria for being an eligible candidate are as follows: a
Canadian citizen, has attained the age of 18 years by the day his/her
nomination papers are filed, is named in a permit book as an actual producer,
or is a shareholder in a corporation, a member of a co-operative, or partner
in a partnership that is named as an actual producer for either year, an
actual producer in the electoral district or an adjacent electoral district in which he or she will seek nomination, neither a Member of Parliament, nor a Member of a Provincial Legislature, not employed in any way in the conduct of the 2004 CWB Directors election. Are the criteria appropriate? Are the criteria for being an eligible candidate correct?
9.. Do you approve of the current form of preferential voting system or
would you support a change to majority voting (most votes regardless if the
number is over 50% wins)?
10.. Do you have any comments/concerns about the CWB Director Elections?
11.. How should the voters list be validated?
12.. Are there other factors that should be considered in determining
eligible voters?
13.. Should candidates be provided financial support for election campaigns?
14.. What should the Code of Conduct be during an election period for
candidates, existing members of the Board and the Canadian Wheat Board?
15.. Is the present timing of the election process appropriate?
Written submissions will be reviewed until September 30, 2005 and should be
emailed to lewisjp@agr.gc.ca or sent by mail or fax to:

J.P. Lewis
Grains and Oilseeds Division
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
930 Carling Avenue
Room 1021
Ottawa , Ontario
K1A 0C5

Fax: 613-759-7476
Telephone: 613-759-6078

Simply amazing!

Does anyone really think this is a serious review... with real accountability change a possibility?

[charliep]

Just a note to encourage people to participate - realizing it is a busy time of the year. A co worker highlighted that a person who doesn't participate in the discussion has no leg to stand on if they complain about the outcome later on. I look at the people on the panel (including Greg) and I see a fair review process at least to the point of the report (whether the government acts on it is another matter). Indications are this is the route the federal government would like to go on reform - ensure the electoral process reflects farmer views/direction and let the CWB board of directors decide the organizations fate.

[silverback]

When the only way to improve the value of an acre of wheat is to get the best grade possible, what do you think the choice of most farmers will be?

Go to a meeting with the wheat board or try and get the crop off before the snow?

[JD4ME]

I encourage everyone who has somethinig to say on the key points but doesn't have the ability to get to Edmonton or Saskatoon to take the time and do a written submission they do get read and they are effective as long as they are strctured and logical.
A five page rant for or against the Wheat board itself likely isn't a good idea but if you want to say something and you feel it has merit and you can back it up do it...... Tom has given the key areas of discussion as well as where to send your submissions and the deadline.

[webmaster]

Just a reminder to you folks that the deadline for written submissions for this is SEPTEMBER 30, 2005.

You can find the list of questions, contact information (it can be sent via email or fax) at www.farmersforjustice.com