When Stephen Harper is choosing his agriculture minister during the next two weeks, he will have an embarrassment of riches to consider.
Easily half his caucus members represent rural areas or have a direct connection to the farm, the greatest farm and rural government representation in almost half a century.
They come from across the country and represent areas that feature virtually all kinds of agriculture.
While farm leaders acknowledge that western farmers have long supported the Conservative party and its ancestors and so they may expect an agriculture minister from among them after more than eight years of Ontario-based ministers, they insist the geographic base of the new minister is irrelevant.
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“I would hope it is someone with an understanding of the industry,” Dawson Creek, B.C., producer and Grain Growers of Canada president Jim Smolik said Jan. 23.
“I don’t care of they come from east, west, north or south, as long as it is someone who has our interests at heart and understands them.”
Canadian Federation of Agriculture president Bob Friesen said the CFA will work with whoever is appointed. Region is not an issue.
“I don’t think it matters where the minister is from if they are open to working with farmers to solve problems,” he said.
University of Saskatchewan agricultural economist Hartley Furtan suggested that an Ontario MP might be appropriate to reward rural voters there for their increasing support of the Conservatives.
There were even election night speculations that one of the 10 Quebec Conservatives elected could be considered for the position since Quebec’s model of agricultural support is recognized across the country as the most sympathetic and effective.
“I don’t think a Conservative agriculture minister from Quebec, which would seem counter-intuitive, can be counted out,” said Prairie-based Ipsos-Reid pollster Curtis Johnson.
But cabinet making is a complicated mix of regional representation, qualifications, experience, gender and ethnic balance and favours owed.
A few of the many Conservative contenders to become the 31st federal agriculture minister include:
- Haldimand-Norfolk Conservative Diane Finley, two-time victor over former agriculture minister Bob Speller, agriculture critic since 2004, representative of an agricultural riding and a bilingual MP who would work with Quebec agricultural groups. Husband Doug Finley was a key election campaign strategist for Harper.
- Gerry Ritz, Battlefords-Lloydminster, Sask., has been the lead Conservative member of the House of Commons agriculture committee since 2004 and was the party agriculture critic before that. His agricultural riding gives him a basis for the debates looming in Parliament.
- Macleod Conservative Ted Menzies was involved in both Western Canadian Wheat Growers and Grain Growers of Canada, as well as the free trade lobby Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance. Since his 2004 election, he has been a trade critic but retains an interest in agricultural issues.
- Rural Ontario MP Michael Chong has a farm background, a bedrock Conservative rural riding northwest of Toronto and good political instincts and skills.
- West Quebec first-time Conservative MP Lawrence Cannon represents the largely rural Pontiac riding north of Ottawa, was a member of a provincial Liberal government that brought in strong farm support policies and has already been promised a cabinet seat by Harper.
