by BETTER FARMING STAFF
The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario is acting fast in order to get its electoral house in order following its failure to obtain accreditation from the Ontario Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal.
In a decision released Wednesday, the Tribunal denied the organization accreditation because it did not meet legislative requirements, mostly in connection with how it processed memberships.
Four district meetings were held on Friday alone, and a total of 13 are scheduled before the organization’s annual convention next Wednesday. A minimum of 12 district meetings must be held to meet the requirements of the Act.
“The decision invalidated our district board and delegates because they were elected by people other than our members,” says Nathan Stevens, acting general manager of the CFFO. All of the districts that will send delegates to the annual convention are having membership meetings and voting for their boards by members under the new definition. “We offer a membership; they accept, and we accept them,” Stevens says.
District boards and delegates to the convention must be re-established “in order to have legitimate resolutions or elections next week, in terms of making an application based on our 2012 year.”
“We contacted our members by email and by phone,” Stevens says, describing that procedure as “the only way” to fulfill the requirements of the legislation.
Meetings are being held by conference call. “There is no requirement in our bylaw that membership meetings be held in a physical location,” Stevens says.
Stevens says Agriculture Minister Ted McMeekin has been invited to the convention. “He has not confirmed yet that he will be there.“
Earlier today, in an emailed statement, McMeekin noted the Tribunal’s decision would “cause significant hardship for the CFFO and the important role it plays in Ontario’s agricultural community.”
Stevens says the CFFO is looking at all of its options and awaiting Tribunal decisions for the other two farm groups. “That tells us if we will be working as a group or we will be working alone.”
Stevens doesn’t see how either the Ontario Federation of Agriculture or National Farmers Union–Ontario can be re-accredited if CFFO was not.
“To my knowledge they did not have elections to re-establish their boards, nor did they have elections in 2011 based on the new definition, which is what we got caught on.
“I don’t know how they pass when we didn’t. But I don’t want to speculate too much.” BF
General farm accredtitation archive
Comments
So it looks like there has been some thing changed since 2011 and no one realized or clued in to it . Shame on the organizations for not falling in line . Also it just goes to show how stable funding has made them too secure about their future .
Wake Up Call !!
We have the NcGinty closing the legislture and other things not completely kosher. Now we have farm organizations screwed up, It is time to bring all the dity crap out and stop the buddy buddy affairs. But i doubt you will fix the human nature of the people farming or politicians without legal investigations with court actions
If the OFA doesn't make it they can just cry to Gov that they have supported the GEA to the enth degree and that alone should grant them forgiveness and accreditation status .
Well I am afraid that if nothing else with the ground swell of anti GEA support and more so wind turbines and the rising cost of hydro , the lack of a good full and complete RMP program that they so much claim they got for farmers that OFA might find it rather hard for members to keep supporting them in the future .
One thing that OFA has failed to realize is that when you start to base the memberships on the "value" of the member benefits and not the work or representation that you do of and for your members you are doomed to fail .
Further when it comes to the GEA ... To me OFA sold out not only farmers but all of Rural Ontario . Shame on them and I hope they get what they have coming .
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