This week, Canadian Federation of Agriculture president Bob Friesen is announcing that he wants to run as a Liberal in the next federal election.
After almost five years as leader of Canada’s largest farm lobby and a frequent critic of federal Liberal policies, Friesen said he wants to try to influence policy from the inside.
He is announcing Dec.10 that he will run for the Liberal nomination in the Brandon-Souris constituency of southwestern Manitoba where he is in a family partnership on a turkey and hog farm.
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“I have worked hard to represent farmers,” the 48 year old said in an interview.
“Now I would like to work to represent the broader views of the constituency to Ottawa. Of course, farmers remain an important part of that constituency and they affect the urban areas as well.”
Friesen said he has not talked to Paul Martin, who becomes prime minister Dec. 12, about the decision to run as a Liberal or the prospect of a cabinet post if he wins.
He said Martin’s promise that members of Parliament will represent their constituents to Ottawa rather than Ottawa to the constituents, was an important moment in his decision to publicly declare as a Liberal.
“I think as prime minister, Mr. Martin will instil a new sense of possibility in the country,” Friesen said. “I know farmers want to work with the federal government if there is a chance for a partnership back.”
As CFA leader, Friesen has been critical of the way federal agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief and his senior bureaucrats have handled negotiations with farmers over the new agricultural policy framework.
He said farmers believe Ottawa has been telling them how it must be done, rather than listening to them about how it should be done.
Winning the Liberal nomination in Brandon-Souris would end Friesen’s tenure as CFA president. Announcing he is running and proclaiming his Liberal affiliation will undermine his credibility as a farm leader even if he does not win.
And winning is far from certain.
The Liberals have yet to set a nomination date and Friesen will face several opponents for the nomination, including farm activist Murray Downing.
Even if he wins the Liberal nomination, the Brandon-Souris riding has been hostile to the Liberals. Since its creation in 1953, the riding has been represented once by the Liberals (1993-97) and 15 times by the Progressive Conservatives.
Since 1997, former Brandon mayor Rick Borotsik has owned the riding as a Progressive Conservative MP although as an opponent of the new Conservative Party of Canada, Borotsik may not run again.
Brandon was the onetime riding of legendary Liberal Clifford Sifton and later, briefly, the riding of former farm leader and agriculture minister Tom Crerar.
Few farm leaders have been successful federal politicians and Friesen joins former Keystone Agriculture Producers president Don Dewar in running for a Manitoba Liberal nomination to try to improve that record.
Crerar and William Motherwell from Saskatchewan were early Grain Growers Association or United Grain Growers leaders who became federal agriculture ministers.
Solicitor general Wayne Easter is a former National Farmers Union president.
