CWB ELECTIONS AND REPORT TO FARMERS

SASKATOON, Sask.--In a letter today, NFU Vice-President Fred Tait asked the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister Responsible for the CWB, to look into numerous irregularities in the current CWB Directors' elections.

Tait's letter to the Minister noted that over the past weeks, parties have placed newspaper ads that do not list the name of the persons or organizations that paid for, or authorized, the ads. The same person or organization wrote ads for numerous candidates. The same person or organization also used computerized phoning to poll farmers, spread certain campaign messages, and lure farmers to a website promoting candidates who advocate a "voluntary" CWB. Finally, it seems that the parties responsible for the calls and ads composed and mailed out letters on behalf of many of the candidates. A look at the style and wording of various letters indicates that they came from the same source. Some of the letters were deliberately styled and worded to appear to be official correspondence from the CWB or the Election Coordinator.

Tait told Goodale: "I find it difficult to accept that this type of centrally-planned, multi-media campaign could be conducted within a third-party spending limit of $10,000. Further, the unidentified nature of much of this advertising makes farmers wonder if the government can enforce spending limits."

Tait requested: "As Minister responsible for the CWB, it is your responsibility to ensure that the legislation governing CWB elections is enforced. The NFU requests that you determine the identity of all third-party intervenors in this election; ensure that these intervenors were registered at the time that they spent their money; ensure that they, and all candidates, worked within legislated spending limits; and make all this information public early in the new year."

Tait concluded with a request that future elections be conducted by Elections Canada. "Private firms lack the powers and expertise necessary to investigate legal infractions. Further, because lengthy investigations of spending and election irregularities increase the costs to these private firms and, thus, decrease their profit from the contract, these private companies have a strong disincentive to pursue matters such as we have raised," said Tait.

-- 30 --

For More Information:

Fred Tait, Vice-President: (204) 252-2773

Darrin Qualman, Executive Secretary: (306) 652-9465