Unfair votes

A good catch by leftdog, as the Cons' attempt to undermine the Canadian Wheat Board is taking another step toward the ridiculous with the revelation that the ongoing barley vote is based on something short of a secret ballot:

The federal government is asking Prairie farmers if they want to change the way barley is marketed and has sent out ballots with identification numbers that match numbers on voter declaration forms.

Bill Kruzko, who farms near Maple Creek, Sask., is among those who say they're not comfortable with the system.

"They'll know exactly how every producer in Canada voted because it has the identification number at the bottom of the ballot," he said.

Given that the vote has already undergone one false start for a far less important reason (one of convenience rather than fundamental fairness), it would seem reasonable for the Cons to give it one more shot in order to address the serious problems with a system where votes could easily be tracked back to individual producers.

But as has been the case throughout the Cons' efforts to demolish the CWB, it seems far too likely that the real concerns of producers will be ignored if the Cons think it'll help their cause. Which can only highlight the need for another type of vote to make sure Strahl never gets the chance to follow through on his plans.