The Canadian Federation of Agriculture has elected its first Quebec-based president in its 73-year history.
Quebec hog and grain producer Laurent Pellerin, a former president of Quebec’s Union des Producteurs Agricoles, defeated Ron Bonnett, former president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, in a Feb. 25 secret ballot.
The two men had been splitting the duties of CFA president since last autumn when former president Bob Friesen resigned to run in the federal election as a Manitoba Liberal candidate.
As Quebec farm leader, Pellerin served as first vice-president for more than a decade.
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The ballot is secret and results were not released but hallway chatter afterward among delegates was that Pellerin had picked up support both on the Prairies and Atlantic region, as well as his home base of Quebec.
In his speech to delegates, the 60-year-old said he wanted to strengthen the CFA’s financial base and increase its membership, working with sectors of the farm community that do not now belong to Canada’s largest farm lobby.
He promised to be a strong voice for farmers when dealing with government, insisting that farm policy must be more coherent and adequately funded.
As soon as his victory was announced, Pellerin reached out to heal any wounds that may have developed from the leadership fight by asking Bonnett to stay on as first vice-president.
“I want you working with me on the team,” he said.
Until recently, Bonnett was considered a shoo-in to be the next president because he was a vice-president and traditionally, the Quebec vice-president does not run for the job.
In 2007, Bonnett defeated Saskatchewan’s Marvin Shauf for the second vice-president position and in that election, Shauf suggested delegates were really electing the next president. “This election is about the next election,” he said.
But Pellerin last year lost the presidency of the UPA and his supporters urged him to run for the top national job.
It was the first CFA presidential election since 1985 when British Columbia farmer Don Knoerr defeated longtime president Glenn Flaten from Saskatchewan. Since then, presidential changes have happened by acclamation although this is the first change in presidents in a decade.
The bilingual Pellerin, a strong defender of supply management and orderly marketing, has become well known on the Prairies for his speeches at annual meetings defending the Canadian Wheat Board and bemoaning the loss of farmer market power through the demise of the farmer-owned grain co-operatives.
He also has a reputation as an aggressive and tough questioner.
Last summer in Moncton during the CFA summer meeting, MP Wayne Easter and other Liberal MPs came to try to explain their Green Shift carbon tax election campaign policy.
Pellerin listened and then lambasted them.
He said he questioned whether the Liberal MPs really were there to listen, since during 13years of Liberal government, MPs including Bob Speller and Easter were sent out to consult farmers with little result.
After farmers gave their advice, “you didn’t make decisions that improved the farmer’s lot,” said Pellerin. “I have a lot of difficulty believing you are listening.”
After Conservative minister Gerry Ritz gave a stern speech to the CFA annual meeting last year and then stormed out without taking questions, Pellerin commandeered a microphone to denounce it as a disgraceful performance.
