The Canadian Wheat Board is being accused of sending ballots to dead farmers as part of its survey aimed at saving its 75-year-old monopoly.
Accusations are coming from the Canadian Wheat Board Monitor blog ran by John De Pape, a risk management specialist and former trader for Cargill and commodity exchange worker.
A top 10 list as to why the survey will prove nothing was recently written. Reasons included farmers receiving multiple ballots and only some producers being allowed to vote for wheat or barley, but not both.
“(The survey) will be skewed to the support of the single desk because of the lists they’re using,” said De Pape, who lives in Winnipeg.
De Pape said of all the votes, many would be the senior farmers that support the CWB but don’t currently farm.
CWB District 2 representative and permit book holder Jeff Nielsen said there’s a “very real possibility” ballots are being sent out to dead farmers since the organization is using a mailing list that dates back five years.
Nielsen said the survey isn’t what it appears to be. Under section 47.1 of the CWB, this survey is not binding. A legally binding plebiscite must be enacted by Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and his office didn’t invoke such action.
“It’s non binding towards the government,” said Nielsen. “What we’re conducting is a survey.”
Currently, if multiple permit book holders operate on one farm, multiple ballots will be given to them, but if a farm is incorporated, only one card will be sent out. Also, farmers who haven’t grown wheat or barley within the last five years will not receive a ballot for that crop and will have to apply for a voting card.
“If I didn’t grow malt barley then I probably don’t deserve to vote,” said Rocky View County farmer Leonard Wright. “I would’ve liked one but I don’t mind that I didn’t get one.”
Wright wants to be able to choose who he sells to, but understands why some would prefer the monopoly stay intact.
“A lot of the older farmers that are afraid of marketing themselves would like the monopoly to stay in place,” he said.
The survey cost $275,000 and results are expected Sept. 9.
