Rein Minnema clarified during a pre-hearing ZOOM call that he is challenging the election of delegates from Zone 2 of the Ontario Pork Producers Marketing Board.
Minnema said he believes one producer who voted was not qualified because he owned no hogs at the time of the election meeting.
He said another voter owned no hogs in Zone 2, but in another zone.
The pre-conference hearing by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeals Tribunal was to clarify the nature of the appeal and the length of time required for a public hearing which is likely to be scheduled for October.
Tribunal officer Robert Fuller gave Minnema and the pork board lawyer, Sean Fraser, each three weeks to produce documents for the case and a further two weeks for Minnema to respond to the pork board’s case.
Minnema said the pork board ought to have known who was qualified to vote in the election. He said he did not raise objections at the time because he wasn’t sure how to proceed.
At the beginning of the pre-conference hearing, Fraser said there is “a fundamental lack of clarity” in the short message Minnema provided in filing his appeal.
Fuller urged the two sides to try to reach an agreement so no public hearing will be necessary.
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