Former federal agriculture minister Bob Speller has decided to try a political comeback.
On June 23, he was acclaimed the Liberal candidate for the southern Ontario riding of Haldimand-Norfolk, a riding he represented for 16 years before being defeated last year by Conservative Diane Finley, who is now opposition agriculture critic.
Speller said he will step down as president of an Ottawa-based printing company and reduce his role with it in order to campaign.
“I’m getting back into the fray because in my riding, we are at a crossroads,” he said. “Voters will have a choice between two candidates with track records as MPs.”
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He said the agriculture industry in the riding south of Toronto, including the tobacco sector, is in decline and other local job creators, including the steel industry and provincial government, are shedding workers.
“There are some challenges out there that I think my background as an MP and in cabinet make me qualified to tackle them,” he said.
After taking the seat from the Progressive Conservatives in 1988 and holding it through three more elections, Speller lost to Finley by more than 1,600 votes in 2004.
He said the loss was in part because as minister, he was travelling, supporting other candidates across the country and dealing with BSE.
“I wasn’t in the riding as much as I should have been in the last election,” Speller said.
“I plan to take the time to get out there this time and to explain my vision to people.”
Before the 2004 election, Speller had for 15 years been a backbench Liberal MP. He was elevated to cabinet in 2003 when Paul Martin became prime minister.
