Vote Now Minister Urges

Vote Now Minister Urges

The Minister of Agriculture, Hon Jim Sutton is encouraging dairy farmers to get involved in this month’s Dairy InSight Board and Dexcel Trust elections. Voting packs for the elections have been mailed to dairy farmers today.

“These are significant elections within the industry as it is the first time that dairy farmers are able to determine the leadership of key dairy organisations Dairy InSight and Dexcel,” says the Minister of Agriculture, Hon Jim Sutton. “So I encourage all dairy farmers to vote. Have your say and vote.”

Dairy farmers will select five directors for Dairy InSight from a pool of fourteen candidates and four trustees for Dexcel from a pool of seven candidates.

“The Dairy InSight and Dexcel leadership is the responsibility of every dairy farmer, so we encourage you to get involved and give a clear mandate to the new Boards when they take up the mantel on 1 June,” says Peter Bodeker, Chief Executive of Dairy InSight. “It is important that our organisations represent the interests of dairy farmers nationally and will provide the strategic input need to manage farmer’s interest going forward.”

The two elections are being run concurrently. Dairy farmers (farm owners and sharemilkers) who supply milksolids to a dairy company are eligible to vote, and will receive by mail a candidate profile booklet for each organisation, and two voting papers – one for Dairy InSight and one for the Dexcel Trust. The roll is estimated at just under 19,000 voters.

“We look forward to an excellent response from farmers,” says Steve McNae, Business and Finance Manager at Dexcel. “Even if there is not a candidate from your local area, look at the value each individual can offer to the leadership of these organisations.”

Both elections will use the Single Transferable Voting system, and will be weighted by the volume of milksolids delivered to dairy companies from 1 June 2002 to 28 February 2003. Votes are to be returned by post only. Completed voting papers must be in the hands of the Returning Officer by 5.00pm Friday, 30 May 2003 and late votes will not be accepted. The result of the election will be declared by noon the following day.

If you have not received a copy of the candidate profiles please contact: Warwick Lampp, Returning Officer on tel: 0508 666 446 or email: wlampp@election.com

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