(Dave Bedard photo)

Liberals pledge revamp of federal farm lender

The federal Liberals’ platform heading into the Oct. 21 election calls for an “expanded and enhanced” role for Farm Credit Canada in supporting the country’s agriculture and agrifood sectors. Platform documents released Sunday last week (Sept. 29) call for the merger of several existing federal financial and advisory services — which the Liberals said are […] Read more

Newfoundland and Labrador’s minister of fisheries and land resources, Gerry Byrne, is shown here at right with Western Agriculture Centre research manager Sabrina Ellsworth and the department’s “Agri-Truck” promotional vehicle at Pynn’s Brook in September 2018. (Gov.nl.ca)

Newfoundland’s ag minister, critic returned in election

The cabinet minister in charge of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Forestry and Agrifoods Agency held onto his seat in Thursday’s provincial election, as has his critic across the aisle. Gerry Byrne, the Liberal MHA for Corner Brook since 2015 and the province’s minister of fisheries and land resources since 2017, held his riding on Thursday against […] Read more


Colin LaVie. (Officialoppositionpei.ca via YouTube)

P.E.I.’s incumbent ag critic, minister returned in election

Prince Edward Island’s incumbent agriculture minister and lead opposition critic both held onto their seats in Tuesday’s election but will return to a much different legislative assembly. Dennis King’s opposition Progressive Conservatives captured 12 of 26 available districts to win a minority government. Peter Bevan-Baker’s Greens move up into official opposition with eight seats and […] Read more

CAQ leader Francois Legault shakes hands with supporters in Quebec City on Oct. 1, 2018. (Photo: Reuters/Chris Wattie)

CAQ’s ag critic among winners in Quebec election

The agriculture critic for Francois Legault’s Coalition avenir Quebec (CAQ) will be among the party’s returning MNAs as it forms Quebec’s next government. The CAQ pulled a majority government in Monday’s election with 74 seats, defeating Philippe Couillard’s Liberals, who were reduced to 32 seats, followed by Quebec solidaire with 10 seats and the Parti […] Read more


Ballots at the printing press on Sept. 7 ahead of New Brunswick’s Sept. 24 election. (Photo courtesy Elections New Brunswick)

Photo-finish election claims New Brunswick’s ag minister

New Brunswick’s incumbent agriculture minister is among the Liberal cabinet members knocked out of office in Monday night’s too-close-to-call provincial election. Final results from Elections New Brunswick put Progressive Conservative candidate Robert Gauvin ahead of Agriculture, Mines and Rural Affairs Minister Wilfred Roussel by a spread of 99 votes in his northeastern riding of Shippagan-Lameque-Miscou. […] Read more

Bob Gordanier, shown here speaking at Queen’s Park in 2015 in his role as OASC chair, is now a provincial Liberal candidate. (OASC.ca)

Former BFO president turns to provincial politics

A former president of the Beef Farmers of Ontario will be running for the Liberals in the next provincial election. Bob Gordanier was nominated Monday as the Liberal candidate for the southwestern Ontario riding of Dufferin-Caledon, which has been held by Progressive Conservative MPP Sylvia Jones since 2007. During his farm organization service Gordanier served […] Read more


B.C. Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick, shown here last October promoting the province’s income tax credit for farmers donating agricultural products to registered charities, held his Kelowna riding in the provincial election Tuesday night. (Gov.bc.ca)

B.C. ag minister, ag critic hang on in election

British Columbia’s incumbent agriculture minister and opposition agriculture critic have both held onto their seats in the legislature so far through the province’s harrowing election Tuesday. Complete results aren’t expected to be available until after the final count starting May 22, but preliminary results put the province’s governing Liberals in minority status with 43 of […] 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


(Scott Bauer photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Liberals pressed on PACA pledge for produce growers

The federal opposition New Democrats have cherry-picked a Liberal election promise to fruit and vegetable growers seeking insurance against U.S. and Canadian buyers who dodge their bills. Tracey Ramsey, the NDP’s international trade critic and MP for the southwestern Ontario riding of Essex, on Tuesday tabled a motion in the Commons for Canada to set […] Read more

(PortMetroVancouver.com)

Canada to review TPP pact, seek public input

Ottawa | Reuters –– Canada’s new Liberal government will review a landmark Pacific trade deal negotiated by the outgoing Conservatives and wants public input on the accord, Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland said Thursday. Some Canadian dairy farmers and auto workers say their jobs could be threatened by the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, which seeks to cut […] Read more