Ted Menzies, who stepped down last week as MP for the Alberta riding of Macleod, is being appointed president of CropLife Canada, the association representing agriculture chemical and seed companies.
He will replace Lorne Hepworth, a former Saskatchewan agriculture minister.
Hepworth has worked from a CropLife office in Ottawa. Menzies is expected to occupy the same Ottawa office.
The former prairie farm leader and popular four-term nine-year MP announced in the summer that he would not contest his fifth election in 2015, citing the need to be with his constituents south of Calgary in the aftermath of last summer’s devastating floods.
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In an interview Nov. 7, the day before he resigned from the House of Commons, the former Claresholm grain farmer who served as minister of state for finance said once he decided to get out of politics, private sector offers surfaced.
“I think I have one more career,” said the 61-year-old.
At the time, he said he would take a private sector job, although he was coy about what and where the job will be.
“I’ve had some very interesting offers in the private sector, one interesting enough that I took it very seriously and they want me fairly soon,” he said.
It turns out it was with CropLife in Ottawa, where he will promote the farm chemical and genetically modified seed industries.