Gerry Ritz
Encyclopedia
Gerry Ritz, PC
, MP (born August 19, 1951) is Canada's Agriculture minister
and a Canadian
Member of Parliament
for Battlefords—Lloydminster
, a largely rural riding in Saskatchewan
. Born in Delisle, Saskatchewan
, he was elected as the Reform Party
candidate in the 1997 general election
, and then re-elected with the Canadian Alliance
in the 2000 election
and the Conservative Party of Canada
in the 2004 election
. Ritz has been the vice-chair of the House of Commons
Agriculture Committee since 2002. He was appointed Secretary of State
for small business and tourism in the Harper government on January 4, 2007. On August 14, 2007, Ritz was promoted to the Cabinet as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food replacing Chuck Strahl
.
Prior to his political career, Ritz worked as a farmer at the family farm for over 20 years and owned a contracting business company.
(CWB). Many farmers who want to seek the highest possible price oppose the monopoly of the board, while others believe that eliminating the board would ultimately have the effect of driving crop prices downward because of increased competition between individual farmers and by competition between marketing companies as was proven by the loss of the Australian Wheat Board in Australia in 2009-2010. The previous Agriculture Minister, Chuck Strahl
, had also proposed ending the monopoly.
, were made public. Ritz was quoted as saying, "This is like a death by a thousand cuts. Or should I say cold cuts." Then when told of a death in Prince Edward Island
, Ritz said, "Please tell me it's (Liberal MP) Wayne Easter
." Ritz later apologized for his comments and Prime Minister Stephen Harper kept Ritz in Cabinet after the 2008 Canadian general election.
At the time of the listeriosis outbreak, Harper announced that an independent investigation would be conducted in order to identify and fix any shortfalls that might come. Ritz expressed this measure in daily updates to the media and public during the outbreak. The Canadian government had previously added $113 million in the 2008 budget for a food safety program.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
, MP (born August 19, 1951) is Canada's Agriculture minister
Minister of Agriculture (Canada)
The Minister of Agriculture is a Minister of the Crown in the Cabinet of Canada, who is responsible for overseeing several organizations including Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canadian Dairy Commission, Farm Credit Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Farm Products Council and...
and a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Battlefords—Lloydminster
Battlefords—Lloydminster
Battlefords—Lloydminster is a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-Geography:The district is in Central-Western Saskatchewan...
, a largely rural riding in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. Born in Delisle, Saskatchewan
Delisle, Saskatchewan
-References:...
, he was elected as the Reform Party
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
candidate in the 1997 general election
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
, and then re-elected with the Canadian Alliance
Canadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
in the 2000 election
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
and the Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
in the 2004 election
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
. Ritz has been the vice-chair of the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
Agriculture Committee since 2002. He was appointed Secretary of State
Secretary of State (Canada)
Secretary of State was a title given to some Ministers of State in the Government of Canada sitting outside Cabinet from 1993 to 2003 and again from 2007 to 2008. Secretaries of State were members of the ministry and the Queen's Privy Council for Canada...
for small business and tourism in the Harper government on January 4, 2007. On August 14, 2007, Ritz was promoted to the Cabinet as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food replacing Chuck Strahl
Chuck Strahl
Charles Strahl, PC, MP was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. He was a Member of Parliament in the governing Conservative Party of Canada.-Before politics:...
.
Prior to his political career, Ritz worked as a farmer at the family farm for over 20 years and owned a contracting business company.
Canadian Wheat Board and barley marketing
Since before he was appointed as Agriculture Minister, Ritz has campaigned to allow farmers to sell their barley in the open market, rather than exclusively through the Canadian Wheat BoardCanadian Wheat Board
The Canadian Wheat Board was established by the Parliament of Canada on 5 July 1935 as a mandatory producer marketing system for wheat and barley in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and a small part of British Columbia...
(CWB). Many farmers who want to seek the highest possible price oppose the monopoly of the board, while others believe that eliminating the board would ultimately have the effect of driving crop prices downward because of increased competition between individual farmers and by competition between marketing companies as was proven by the loss of the Australian Wheat Board in Australia in 2009-2010. The previous Agriculture Minister, Chuck Strahl
Chuck Strahl
Charles Strahl, PC, MP was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. He was a Member of Parliament in the governing Conservative Party of Canada.-Before politics:...
, had also proposed ending the monopoly.
Food safety and the 2008 Canadian listeriosis outbreak
Ritz made national news when insensitive jokes he made on August 30, 2008, in response to the 2008 Canadian listeriosis outbreak2008 Canadian listeriosis outbreak
The 2008 Canadian listeriosis outbreak was a widespread outbreak of listeriosis in Canada linked to cold cuts from a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto, Ontario. 22 people died and there were 57 total confirmed cases.-Origin and spread:...
, were made public. Ritz was quoted as saying, "This is like a death by a thousand cuts. Or should I say cold cuts." Then when told of a death in Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, Ritz said, "Please tell me it's (Liberal MP) Wayne Easter
Wayne Easter
Arnold Wayne Easter, PC, MP is a Canadian politician.-Before politics:Born in North Wiltshire, Prince Edward Island the son of A. Leith Easter and Hope MacLeod, he was educated at the Charlottetown Rural High School and the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. In 1970, he married Helen Arleighn...
." Ritz later apologized for his comments and Prime Minister Stephen Harper kept Ritz in Cabinet after the 2008 Canadian general election.
At the time of the listeriosis outbreak, Harper announced that an independent investigation would be conducted in order to identify and fix any shortfalls that might come. Ritz expressed this measure in daily updates to the media and public during the outbreak. The Canadian government had previously added $113 million in the 2008 budget for a food safety program.
External links
- Gerry Ritz official site