March 28, 2007
Flawed Federal Barley Vote Delivers No Mandate To Eliminate Single Desk: Wowchuk
Federal Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl must set aside the results of his barley plebiscite and instead commit to holding a vote that is fair to producers and will yield a clear result on the future of the Canadian Wheat Board, Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives Minister Rosann Wowchuk said today.
“It is inconceivable that a government in Canada would endorse the results of a vote that has been so seriously flawed,” Wowchuk said. “A vote on the future of the Canadian Wheat Board is a vote on the future of prairie grain farmers and our producers deserve much better.”
Producers have widely condemned the federal three-question ballot which today yielded an unclear result as expected, said Wowchuk. She said consulting with producers on the ballot question as the Manitoba government did prior to its wheat board vote would have ensured a clear ballot question with a clear outcome.
The federal barley vote was further compromised when it was revealed last month that numbered ballots meant voter confidentiality could not be assured, Wowchuk said.
Recently, the accounting firm overseeing the federal barley vote publicly acknowledged that some farmers would receive multiple ballots and would be able to vote more than once.
Most concerning about today’s result on the federal barley plebiscite is the remarkably low voter turnout, said Wowchuk. About 29,067 of the 82,000 ballots mailed to producers were completed.
“The voter turnout results show that producers have overwhelmingly discredited this plebiscite,” Wowchuk said. “Two-thirds of eligible producers chose not to cast a ballot. Clearly, Minister Strahl does not have a mandate from farmers to make changes to the Canadian Wheat Board.”
Wowchuk also expressed concern over Strahl’s suggestion today he would not bring any proposed changes to the wheat board’s single desk before Parliament to seek changes to the Canadian Wheat Board Act.
“The federal minister today has an opportunity to consult with farmers on a fair ballot question, establish measures to protect the integrity of a vote and then offer producers the opportunity to finally have a say on their future in a fair, clear manner,” said Wowchuk.
Manitoba announced the results of the provincial vote on wheat and barley in mid-January. The vote showed 62 per cent of producers favoured maintaining the single desk for barley and 70 per cent favoured maintaining the single desk for wheat. Producers were consulted on the ballot question and steps were taken to guarantee a fair vote, said Wowchuk.
Voter turnout in the Manitoba vote was 65 per cent.
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