I find it hard to believe the Ontario branch of the National Farmers Union will gain re-accreditation after listening through a day of testimony before the Ontario Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeals Tribunal today.
It became obvious that this is not an Ontario farm organization, but a sub-unit of the National Farmers Union with its head office in Saskatoon. That's where most of the Ontario money goes, where almost all of the policies are made and where the Ontario president - called a co-ordinator - gets appointed.
Until recently, the head office also controlled the treasurer position, which was filled by one of its staff members.
A few dissidents were elected directors during the Ontario organization's annual meeting in March, and they have been raising a lot of questions about this relationship between Ontario and the national organization. They testified at the tribunal's public hearing today that they couldn't get copies of the Ontario bylaws, minutes of meetings before they came on the board, an Ontario book of policies, etc.
Delegates to the Ontario annual meeting chose Sean McGivern to be their president - called co-ordinator - but the national board questioned his choice and, in the end, appointed a rival, Joe Dama. McGivern said Dama did not hold an Ontario Farm Business Registration membership at the time of the annual meeting, where he was elected. Don Mills, national vice-president, testified he was a direct member of the national NFU at the time and, as such, eligible for election.
Then there's the matter of Ann Slater. She was defeated during elections in March, but continues to sit as an 11th member on the Ontario board which, according to the organization's bylaws and policies, has room for only 10.
Mills explained that her term on the national board runs until the annual convention in late November and that all Ontario people who are on the national board are automatically members of the Ontario board.
Steve Dick, one of the directors who resigned over this situation, said the Ontario and national organizations are distinct corporations and, as such, the Ontario organization needs to have its own bylaws, policies, elections and control of its own finances. He said the current situation is a violation of both the legislation for so-called stable funding for general farm organizations and of the Ontario Corporations Act.
The tribunal is unlikely to issue a ruling before the end of October. I can't see how the tribunal can justify re-accreditation, given what it heard and read today.
