Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 37(3) I rise to get a more detailed answer to questions I raised on December 5 and 6.
As a person who is concerned about the future of the Canadian Wheat Board I feel it is imperative to point out some of the activities of its government appointed commissioners during the advisory committee elections. I believe these activities point out problems with the board which could, if not immediately dealt with, lead to its demise over the next few years.
The real threat to the Canadian Wheat Board is not from outside but rather from within and result from its lack of accountability and its lack of willingness to change. The main issue to be dealt with is the complete lack of accountability of these appointed commissioners to western Canadian farmers.
This is a concern I have heard from farmers over the past several years. After all, farmers pay all of the operating costs of the Canadian Wheat Board out of their pockets. Why does it seem too much to ask for the commissioners that run the board to be directly accountable to farmers? The only way to ensure that the board of directors is accountable to farmers is by allowing farmers to elect them. There is no other way.
On Monday, December 5, I asked the minister of agriculture about the results of the Canadian Wheat Board advisory committee elections. I mentioned it was no surprise that less than 40 per cent of farmers eligible to vote turned out to elect these largely symbolic positions.
What was a surprise, however, was that leading up to the election, Lorne Hehn, the chief commissioner campaigned for a group of candidates that had a specific political agenda. In addition Richard Klassen wrote an "open letter to prairie wheat and barley growers". Their articles appeared in the Western Producer , Grainews , and many local papers.
Section 17(4) of the Canadian Wheat Board Act strictly prohibits these actions. It states: "It is the duty of the board to exercise direction and supervision over the administrative conduct of an election of members of the advisory committee". Therefore, the role of commissioners parallels that of Elections Canada in a federal election.
By promoting the point of view of one group of candidates the commissioners, I believe, violated the Wheat Board Act and the trust given to the people who hold these positions. On this basis I asked for the resignation of those who knowingly violated politically neutral positions.
In his response the agriculture minister said he would not ask for their resignations because he had no proof to justify these allegations. He also stated it was not unusual for a chief commissioner, from time to time, to defend the policies and practices of the wheat board.
The proof can be found in the chief commissioner's words and in the words of other commissioners. Not only did the chief commissioner openly offer his opinion in the November 17 issue of the Western Producer but he also stated that during the board's 60-year history it is entirely unusual for commissioners to defend the actions of the board.
Hehn states: "The events of recent weeks compel me to violate the long tradition of silence on controversial grain policy issues. I do so at the risk of being accused of meddling". Therefore, Mr. Hehn knowingly violated section 17(4) of the Canadian Wheat Board Act. This is a very serious offence and I am sure the chief commissioner was aware of the consequences.
Clearly, the politically neutral stance of the wheat board was violated by the chief commissioner and other commissioners. It is also clear that the actions of these individuals should be reviewed. Furthermore, it is clear to everyone that farmers must review and make decisions about how their marketing agency should be run.
I have three specific questions for the minister. With this evidence before him, will the minister acknowledge that the commissioners have violated the Canadian Wheat Board Act and the trust given to them? Will the minister ask for the resignation of all commissioners who campaigned during the period leading up to the advisory committee elections? Will the minister replace those political appointed commissioners with an elected board of directors? If yes, when? If not, why on earth not?