Three CWB Marketing Choice Director hopefuls and Single Desk incumbent Michael Halyk squared off at a forum sponsored by the Foam Lake Marketing Club on Wednesday night in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. Bill Cooper chaired the meeting and CJGX Radio's Ray Greneville MC'd the meeting.
A full hall with quite a rowdy crowd listened to each of the four candidates make 7 minute presentations to the farmers. Dwayne Anderson, Bill Rusk and Brad Hamner all made their positions very clear...they stood for marketing choice.
Michael Halyk defended single desk. Halyk really got grilled about issues. He admitted that the Canadian Wheat Board has been breaking the Act and that the federal Government is responsible for paying the licensing costs across Canada instead of the money coming out of the pooling accounts as is presently being done. This is one of the questions Alberta's Chatenay keeps demanding that his Board must address, but his fellow Directors ignored him. Halyk said they are looking into seeing something is done.
Halyk also apologized to the crowd for taking money out of the pooling accounts to give to the Liberal fundraiser. He couldn't have been too filled with regret though, because he said the money had not been put back into the pooling accounts either.
Generally, there was a lot of criticism towards Halyk. The rising cost of CWB administration was a sore spot again. Jailing farmers was an open wound.
he other candidates were hardily applauded when they gave strong opinions about how the CWB should be run. No mincing words from these candidates.And they were very definite about NOT switching camps after the election either. Ritter and Flaman were both scorned by majority of the farmers in attendance.
Some observers agreed that approximately 10% of those attending would be single desk supporters. There were many farmers lined up to ask questions from the crowd of 150, and the main theme for the evening was Marketing Choice.
Parsley
A full hall with quite a rowdy crowd listened to each of the four candidates make 7 minute presentations to the farmers. Dwayne Anderson, Bill Rusk and Brad Hamner all made their positions very clear...they stood for marketing choice.
Michael Halyk defended single desk. Halyk really got grilled about issues. He admitted that the Canadian Wheat Board has been breaking the Act and that the federal Government is responsible for paying the licensing costs across Canada instead of the money coming out of the pooling accounts as is presently being done. This is one of the questions Alberta's Chatenay keeps demanding that his Board must address, but his fellow Directors ignored him. Halyk said they are looking into seeing something is done.
Halyk also apologized to the crowd for taking money out of the pooling accounts to give to the Liberal fundraiser. He couldn't have been too filled with regret though, because he said the money had not been put back into the pooling accounts either.
Generally, there was a lot of criticism towards Halyk. The rising cost of CWB administration was a sore spot again. Jailing farmers was an open wound.
he other candidates were hardily applauded when they gave strong opinions about how the CWB should be run. No mincing words from these candidates.And they were very definite about NOT switching camps after the election either. Ritter and Flaman were both scorned by majority of the farmers in attendance.
Some observers agreed that approximately 10% of those attending would be single desk supporters. There were many farmers lined up to ask questions from the crowd of 150, and the main theme for the evening was Marketing Choice.
Parsley
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