Friday, May 25, 2012

French farm organization approved




While the tribunal turned down the three major farm organizations, it has approved the special arrangement for the Union des Cultivateurs Franco-Ontariens.

The organization for French-language farmers receives special funding under Section 17 of the Farm Business Registration Act.

The Ontario Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Tribunal posted its decision on its website today, indicating that the Union has been re-certified until November, 2014.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture, the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario and the National Farmers Union – Ontario have all been denied re-certification.

The tribunal wants all of them to provide a process by which farmers will indicate explicitly that they want the annual $195 Farm Business Registration fee to be directed to the organization they choose and to become a member of that organization.

The provision to apply for a refund from the chosen organization remains in effect.

The tribunal has also ruled that none of the three provided an audited financial statement within 10 days of its annual general meeting and ordered all three to provide more information about how they meet the requirement to direct 25 per cent of the revenues derived under the Act to locals.

The National Farmers Union was ordered to sever some of the management ties its head-office staff in Saskatoon has exercised over the Ontario branch.

Ann Slater, head of the Ontario branch, says the election procedure was corrected during the last annual meeting this March. The national organization has been counting on Ontario for the lion’s share of its revenues. The tribunal made clear that the Ontario branch needs to have autonomy.

The Farm Business Registration Act makes no provision for appeals from tribunal decisions.

The legislation setting up the tribunal does allow for appeals of most of its decisions to the Minister of Agriculture and to divisional court.
The three organizations plan to meet with OMAFRA officials to sort out how to deal with the tribunal decisions.

Kirk Walsedt, a lawyer, is chairman of the commission. His term expires this month. The others who listened during public hearings were Jane Sadler Richards and Mary Field.

A different set of tribunal members was in charge of the public hearings for the Union des Cultivateurs Franco-Ontariens – Marthanne Robson and Denis Perrault.

The denials for the three main organizations are the first time the tribunal has failed to grant re-certifications.