Farmer appeals Huron Perth dairy vote

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

by SUSAN MANN

David Murray, the incumbent board member representing the Huron and Perth region on the Dairy Farmers of Ontario board, is challenging the board’s decision to uphold Henry Wydeven as the winner in the elections for their region.

Wydeven of St. Marys won the election by two votes earlier this fall. John Van Dyk of Tavistock finished third.   

Murray, who has been on the board since 2006, is now taking his challenge to the Ontario Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal where a hearing has been scheduled for Dec. 30 in Guelph, says Graham Lloyd, Dairy Farmers general counsel and communications director. Lloyd says he expects the hearing to take one day.

Lloyd couldn’t say why Murray is appealing the election results to the tribunal because “Dairy Farmers of Ontario doesn’t comment on the particulars of a tribunal matter.”

A reconsideration hearing was held at the Dairy Farmers board meeting Monday. The board decided to accept the returning officer’s report and declare Henry Wydeven elected, Lloyd says.

The reconsideration hearing was the latest step in the process. Initially, Murray asked the board to reconsider counting some ballots that were excluded. The board considered that request at its regular board meeting in November but its decision was to declare Wydeven elected “in accordance with regulation 760 of the Milk Act as having received the most votes,” Lloyd said in an earlier interview.

Farmers elected to the board serve four-year terms that start right after the annual meeting in January ends. This year the annual meeting is being held from Jan. 7 to 9, 2014 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto.

Murray couldn’t be reached for comment. BF