by BETTER FARMING STAFF
After a daylong hearing before the Ontario Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Tribunal, representatives of the National Farmers Union–Ontario (NFU-O) still don’t know whether the Tribunal will accredit the NFU-O to represent its Ontario members.
NFU-O coordinator Ann Slater, speaking to Better Farming just after arriving home from the hearing in Guelph, says she doesn’t know when a decision will be made.
Slater says at the conclusion of the Friday hearing, both the NFU-O and representatives of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs asked the Tribunal for an oral decision with reasons to follow.
“They indicated they could not do that,” Slater says, “but that’s all they said.”
“We had a strong case,” Slater says, “the ministry put a strong case forward on our behalf. I have no idea what the Tribunal will decide.”
Asked whether further meetings are scheduled, Slater says no. “They haven’t indicated that they are planning to talk to us again.” Slater added: “I’m not sure we are prepared to talk with them again anyways.”
The Tribunal’s central issue, Slater says, is the relationship between the NFU-O and the national organization, the National Farmers Union (NFU).
“They seem to be very hung up on whether or not the NFU–Ontario is doing work on behalf of farmers in Ontario,” Slater says.
An interim order issued recently by the Tribunal states that accredited farm organizations are required by regulation to represent farmers in Ontario.
“It is unclear to the Tribunal whether the activities claimed by the NFU-O as representing farmers in Ontario are in fact carried out by the NFU-O, an Ontario corporation, or by the National Farmers Union (the NFU), a federal corporation based in Saskatoon with which the NFU-O is affiliated,” the order reads.
Leading up to the hearing, the Tribunal asked the NFU-O for documents relating to governance, the last three years of audited statements, a list of bank accounts and statements, employment agreements, phone bills, office lease, a breakdown of members by province and by category, and notices and minutes of meetings for the last three years. BF
General farm accreditation archive
Comments
I don't understand the underlying problem but this lady is obviously very frustrated. You wrote earlier stories saying the other GFOs felt the same way. Is there a problem with the tribunal? If so can the government do something to make sure this tribunal operates more efficiently and in a more positive manner?
reality check,,,
They are pretending to be a stand alone organization when they are in fact not.
They use to have a national employee signing their checks
They can not pass policy unless it is approved by the National organization
They don't have there own policy book
They turn over nearly 50% of the FBR funds to the national office with out any detailed accounting of the work they do for the money they are paid.
The Ontario branch leader Miss Slater refers to her self as the Region 3 coordinator, region 3 of what you guessed the national organization, not as President of the stand alone NFU-O
The NFU -O only exists for accreditation purposes so that they can funnel the money to the western office.
If they were a stand a lone organization they would have a president, vis president, secretary and a treasure, they don't they have 1 paid staff member and they are simply a shell organization to funnel money to the western office.
The funny part is that the NFU is upset that the tribunal has actually finally done there job properly and realized they shouldn't have been an accredited GFO all a long and now the NFU is mad the tribunal has operated as it should of a long time ago...
Sean McGivern
How much of the money raised by NFU members in Ontario was wasted by the western NFU office trying to defend single-desk selling by the Canadian Wheat Board?
Stephen Thompson, Clinton ON
Young Man you have not the age , experience to have accountable knowledge to solve Ontario agriculture problems. Decade after decade we see newby farm leaders arrive , we see them get meritorius awards after 20 years but greater agr problems remain.
Be Careful what you ask for
It isn't ever to do with the age or experience of the critic, if the critic is right, and, in this case, he is. The bigger problem is when old people who don't know what they're talking about, and/or who have nothing to say, believe they do. One of the biggest problems in agriculture is that the average age of farmers is so high that older farmers believe they actually do know what they are talking about, and believe they can get away with dismissing the concerns of the entire next generation.
Stephen Thompson, Clinton ON
It is uncommon to see people under the age of 40 become involved in any type of politics. Then when we do, the ones in power, and/or the ones who agree with them, who are usually the elder, often feel like their toes are being stepped on and become defensive instead of taking the time to listen and/or do anything about it because the problems of today, in most cases, don't affect them anymore. Unfortunately, this pattern seems to repeat itself. Until we see government legislations that are created more equal, instead of favoring one group over another, much of the division in agriculture will remain. Raube Beuerman, Dublin, ON
That is astounding common sense Raube, but I don't believe it has as much to do with age as with the "old guard" trying to defend their "past deeds" from any new ideas. Too often I have heard new ideas crushed with a list of frivolous reasons why it won't work, instead of taking the new idea and molding it to make things better for us all. The longer the "old boys/girls" are there, the more they forget the real reason they were put there in the first place.
From my experience, if you thought you had a good idea, then keep discreatly pushing it until it became somebody else's idea...then it could really be a good idea. It's a slow frustrating process and there must be a better way.
Dave Linton
Does this affect the other two GFOs? Can the government issue the new FBR forms with just two GFOs while the fate of NFU is unknown
In the past this tribunal has indicated that they don't feel bound by the timelines specified in the regulations and some of their decisions have taken a very long time to deliver. So where do things stand?
Why is it that yous can sit there and write like the older farmers are nothing but stupid people. I for one am middle age and I do not think the elders are such a thing they have been and seen alot of things in their lifetime and they do deserve the respect from the rest of the age groups. The rest do have great ideas and its nice to see them in action ,but they do not have the wisdom that the elders have. there is such enormous technology out there that the older farmers find it hard to grasp and the younger ones wait till they start getting up there in age and they will find it even harded because its moving ahead faster all the time. Hope everyone try and work together instead of thinking their group is so much better than the others, a country is build on every one not just e few.
some of those old farmers on pension have seen many changes and do not like what is happening now many have worked very hard and care for their community very much and do not trust gov or other people with thease new ideas many of thease old people will be a better person than i will ever be. they beleive in honesty and would never try to do harm any body my grandmother help to raise me she showed me that you always have a open door and always had a warm meal and bath for a stranger that eveybody is equal and to never trust gov anything controled by gov. told many stories mr webster
If you truely believe in what you are saying you need to help more if you can because the agriculture ship of ethics is a titanic today
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