Federal Conservative leader Andrew Scheer speaks during Question Period in the House of Commons in Ottawa on April 10, 2019. (Photo: Reuters/Chris Wattie)

Tories’ climate plan focused on green investment

The federal Conservatives’ proposed replacement for the Liberal government’s framework on climate change offers several shout-outs to farmers, in a document focused on green investment rather than current consumption patterns. The lead opposition party’s plan, launched Wednesday by leader Andrew Scheer, proposes to scrap the Trudeau government’s current carbon pricing plan, which imposes levies on […] Read more

Bloyce Thompson, shown here at right with father Guy and son Taylor, is Prince Edward Island’s new agriculture minister. (EastsideHolsteins.com)

P.E.I. dairyman named provincial ag and land minister

A Prince Edward Island dairy farmer who unseated the province’s incumbent premier on election night is the new provincial minister for agriculture and land, and for justice and public safety. Bloyce Thompson, the new Progressive Conservative MLA for the district of Stanhope-Marshfield, was sworn in Thursday as a member of incoming Premier Dennis King’s nine-member […] Read more



John Barlow in July 2015. (JohnBarlowMP.ca)

Tories’ junior ag critic promoted in shuffle

The federal Conservatives’ associate critic for agriculture and agri-food has been shuffled into a new post in the opposition’s shadow cabinet. John Barlow, MP for the southwestern Alberta riding of Foothills, was appointed Friday as lead shadow minister for employment, workforce development and labour by party leader Andrew Scheer. In a post on Facebook, Scheer […] Read more


Ben Fox. (File photo/Supplied)

Manitoba Beef Producers president steps down

The race to become the federal Conservatives’ candidate in Dauphin has claimed a second Manitoba farm leader. Dauphin-area rancher Ben Fox, president of Manitoba Beef Producers and the District 13 representative on the group’s board, announced Tuesday he had resigned as MBP president to seek a “federal party nomination.” MBP didn’t say which nomination Fox […] Read more

Gerry Ritz won’t be coming back to the House of Commons in September. (Manitoba Co-operator photo by Shannon VanRaes)

Ex-agriculture minister Gerry Ritz quits Commons

Gerry Ritz, the federal minister for agriculture and agri-food for nine years in Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, is done with federal politics. The MP for the western Saskatchewan riding of Battlefords-Lloydminster since 1997, Ritz announced via Twitter Thursday morning that he “will not be returning to my seat in the House of Commons this fall.” […] Read more


Luc Berthold, shown here in April 2011 during his stint as mayor of Thetford Mines, Que., is the new lead Opposition critic for agriculture and agri-food. (Ville.ThetfordMines.qc.ca)

Federal Tories look east for ag critic

The federal Conservatives have tapped one of their rookie Quebec MPs as the new agriculture critic for Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. Andrew Scheer, elected in May as the Tories’ new leader, on Wednesday announced his first shadow cabinet with Luc Berthold, the MP for Megantic-L’Erable, as agriculture and agri-food critic and John Barlow, MP for […] Read more

Southwestern Saskatchewan MP David Anderson (centre), shown here last year visiting Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s research facility at Swift Current, is the federal Tories’ new agriculture critic. (DavidAnderson.ca)

Anderson named federal Tories’ ag critic in shuffle

A vocal critic of the former Canadian Wheat Board single marketing desk for Prairie wheat and barley is now the lead agriculture critic in Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. David Anderson, the MP for the southwestern Saskatchewan riding of Cypress Hills-Grasslands since 2000, was named Thursday as the Conservatives’ critic for agriculture and agri-food by interim Tory […] Read more


Manitoba’s incumbent agriculture minister Ron Kostyshyn, shown here in March last year, was one of 12 ministers in Premier Greg Selinger’s cabinet defeated in their constituencies in the April 19 election. (Manitoba Co-operator photo by Shannon VanRaes)

Manitoba ag minister unseated in Tory sweep

Manitoba’s incumbent agriculture minister was among the casualties in Tuesday’s provincial election as Brian Pallister’s Progressive Conservatives swept the New Democrats from office. Ron Kostyshyn lost his seat Tuesday to Tory candidate Rick Wowchuk, a schoolteacher from Swan River, by a spread of over 1,500 votes. Kostyshyn, a cow-calf producer from Ethelbert, Man., had been […] Read more

Peace region MP Chris Warkentin, shown here in October 2011 at the Canadian Council for Aboroginal Business’ Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Conference in Ottawa, has been named as the Conservatives’ critic for agriculture and agri-food. (Entrepreneurship2011.indigenous.net)

Peace MP named Conservatives’ lead ag critic

A contractor turned politician from Alberta’s northwestern Peace region is the new ag critic in Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. Chris Warkentin, the Conservatives’ MP for Peace River since 2006 and, as of last month, the MP for Grande Prairie-Mackenzie, was named Friday by interim leader Rona Ambrose as the critic for agriculture and agri-food, with […] Read more