MASC has a number of policies that relate to the governance of the Corporation's activities. Two of these policies are directly related to MASC's interaction with its clients and the public.
MASC's Privacy Policy provides guiding principles to ensure that personal and confidential information is managed appropriately and responsibly.
MASC's Handling Producer and Public Concerns Policy outlines the governing principles relating to the handling of client, producer and public concerns or complaints, to ensure that concerns are dealt with in a responsible manner.
In addition to protecting the privacy rights of individuals, MASC is committed to protecting information provided to it in confidence by its clients, public bodies or other organizations.
In keeping with established principles of fair information practices, MASC is responsible to:
obtain consent before collecting, using and disclosing personal information;
collect the minimum amount of information needed to accomplish its purpose;
use and disclose personal information only for the reason(s) it was collected, unless consent is obtained, or if such use and disclosure is required or permitted;
ensure the personal information that is collected is as accurate, complete and up-to-date as necessary for its purposes;
provide individuals with access to their own information and allow them to make corrections as appropriate;
keep personal information only for as long as it is required; and
The purpose of this policy is to outline the governing principles that relate to MASC's handling of client, producer and public concerns or complaints (concerns).
MASC is committed to the following principles with respect to the administration of its programs and services:
to treat all clients (including prospective clients) professionally, courteously and fairly;
to treat clients in similar situations consistently;
to provide clients with complete, accurate, clear and timely information; and
to base its decisions on relevant information and to be accountable for those decisions.
Board Responsibility
The Board of Directors, in directing the business and affairs of MASC, is primarily responsible for establishing corporate policy.
The Board meets with producer groups on a regular basis to discuss policy matters and possible program changes.
The Board does not review specific concerns unless MASC's Executive Management Committee (Executive Management) refers such matters to it in accordance with this policy.
Executive Management Responsibility
Executive Management is primarily responsible for handling concerns that arise in the administration of day-to-day operations.
More specifically, Executive Management is responsible:
to ensure that staff conduct corporate business in accordance with the principles established in this policy;
for the thorough review of concerns to ensure compliance with applicable legislation and policies;
to identify developing trends in the type of concerns received;
based on developing trends or on any one concern, to refer to the Board matters that identify a need for the reconsideration of corporate policy (e.g. MASC's policy is unclear or has unintended consequences); and
based on exceptional circumstances, to refer to the Board any other concern for consideration.
Executive Management is also required to copy relevant correspondence to the Board on the matters handled in accordance with this policy.
Misrepresentation
Misrepresentation and program abuse are not victimless acts – they can affect everyone and anyone. For most AgriInsurance programs, premiums are paid 40% by insured producers, 36% by the government of Canada, and 24% by the Manitoba government. So, misrepresentation and program abuse do not only negatively affect AgriInsurance programs and other producers, but the public as well.
In order to offer equitable insurance at reasonable cost, MASC works hard to ensure that producers only receive payments for claims for which they are eligible. Specific examples of misrepresentation include:
misstating production on a harvested production report
misstating production in respect of a claim
failing to disclose any fact required to be stated
making a false statement
MASC does NOT consider misrepresentation or abuse of government programs just another cost of doing business. MASC staff are vigilant to identify concerns.
If you suspect misrepresentation or abuse of MASC's programs, either occurring now or having occurred in the past, please contact MASC TIPS lines at:
Penalties for misrepresentation and abuse of AgriInsurance and other programs can be significant and include claim reductions or claim recovery, termination from the program, and referral to law enforcement for possible criminal charges. See the annual AgriInsurance Contract for further details.
MASC Moderation and Privacy Notification
Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) cannot commit to posting or replying to all comments received on its social media sites. However, we will reply to questions and take part in online conversations whenever possible.
The views of those who comment on MASC’s social media channels do not necessarily represent the views of the Corporation. MASC staff regularly monitor these channels, and may participate or intervene in online conversations, as appropriate. MASC welcomes your comments as long as they follow the conventions of polite and respectful discourse.
Inappropriate comments will be removed, and users may be restricted from MASC’s social media sites. Inappropriate comments include:
abusive, obscene, indecent or offensive language
defamatory, harassing, hateful, discriminatory or threatening remarks or unproven/unsupported accusations against individuals or organizations
identification of publicly elected representatives, candidates or parties, regardless of their political affiliation, whether comments are supportive or critical
comments that invade the privacy of others or impersonate others
content that, in the opinion of the moderator, is not related to the discussion
content posted without the necessary rights, licences and consents
encouragement of conduct that may or could be a criminal offence or a civil liability
encouragement of comments that violate any local, provincial, national, international law or regulation anywhere in the world
long-embedded URLs
links pointing to malware sites
excessive links and code
identical comments by the same user (spam)
content that is posted for private advertising purposes
MASC social media accounts give the public a convenient option to access information and services. While we try to ensure the accuracy of the content, MASC is not responsible for any reliance by the user on the accuracy, completeness, timeliness or reliability of the content. In using this content, you agree to indemnify and hold MASC harmless from all third-party claims, demands, actions or costs (including legal costs on a solicitor-client basis) arising out of your use of these sites.
To protect your own privacy and the privacy of others, please limit the personal information you provide. MASC cannot control the conduct of third parties having access to publicly accessible sites and disclaims responsibility for any personal information that is posted by you and/or used by third parties. Moderators will watch for and potentially remove inappropriate or unnecessary personal information or images about the submitter or a third party. Moderators may also restrict future posts. Personal information includes addresses, phone numbers, photographs containing images of identifiable people and any other information defined as personal information in The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).
The collection of personal information from a social media site and the subsequent use, disclosure and management of that information by MASC is subject to FIPPA. Social media account(s) are public and are not hosted on MASC servers. Users who choose to interact with MASC via social media should read the terms of service and privacy policies of third-party social media service providers. If you have any questions about The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, please visit the FIPPA website.
Compensation Disclosure
In accordance with Section 2 of The Public Sector Compensation Disclosure Act, the link below discloses the aggregate compensation paid to MASC Board members and individual compensation paid to Board members and staff, where such compensation is $75,000 or more per year.
In the year 2021, MASC paid Board members $43,344.42 in aggregate, with no one board member receiving compensation of $75,000 or more.