Dear Editor:
The recent CWB Director elections resulted in single desk supporters winning 4 out of a possible 5 positions. In fact, single desk supporters were only 31 votes short of winning all five positions. In most elections winning 4 out of 5 positions would be viewed as a huge victory.
However this is no ordinary election, it is almost totally ideological.
Loosing anti board candidates almost immediately complained about the low farmer turnout at 41.1%. This compares to 29.3% in the recent federal by-elections. It would appear farmers are more interested in CWD elections than citizens are with Federal politics. If anti board losers believe 41.1% is a low turnout, how does the federal government feel it has a mandate to destroy the CWB? Even some market analysts whined about the low turnout, analysts who cannot vote in the elections, but would profit by providing "advice" on wheat and barley marketing, if the CWB's single desk was dismantled.Low voter turnout was even identified by one losing anti CWB candidate as his reason for losing his bid for a CWB director. His statements are almost laughable for he was the candidate who was invisible during the campaign. Would not answer questions directly and would not come out for public forum debates. But yet he has the gall to muse about a low voter turnout, when he was not willing to engage with the voters!
Other whiners raised the issues that retired farmers only voted in the elections and that family farms could get more votes than incorporated farms. Even though I am retired, but still own farmland, I was not able to vote in the elections. However, I did hear several incorporated farmers bragging that they got multiple ballots due to the way they filled their permit books out. The record number of ballots sent to one incorporated household is quoted as being 6! In any case the legislation allows canola growers to receive ballots even if they don't sell wheat or barley through the CWB. So I think on balance the people who were interested in the election voted and the losers should accept the results. After all, the elections will be on again in two years!! We can expect more voter list tampering, mix ups of ballots and eventually the losers may win!!
George HickieWaldron, SK.
