New federal agriculture minister a surprising choice for many
REGINA — I was as surprised as anyone when Heath MacDonald, Liberal MP for Malpeque in Prince Edward Island, was named federal agriculture minister last week.
Kody Blois from Nova Scotia seemed the sure bet. First elected in 2019, he was on the standing agriculture committee and served as chair after his re-election in 2021.
He made strong efforts to learn about the industry across the country, earned respect in the West, even as an eastern Liberal, and was one of the only Liberal MPs to vote in favour of Bill C-234, which would have exempted natural gas and propane used to dry grain from the carbon tax.
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He briefly took over the agriculture portfolio after Lawrence MacAulay stepped down in March, and his reappointment, should prime minister Mark Carney retain government, seemed automatic.
MacDonald, elected federally in 2021 after a career in tourism and a term as a provincial MLA, was on the ag committee for just more than a year. He took over Malpeque from Wayne Easter, a former National Farmers Union president.
His appointment sent more than a few running to Google.
Aside from the fact that MacDonald isn’t Blois, some criticized the appointment as yet another Liberal easterner who doesn’t know agriculture.
There may be something to that, but it’s not entirely fair. Not many western Liberals who know agriculture were elected.
P.E.I.’s MacAulay was fond of pointing out during his 2015-19 and 2023-25 tenures that he was a farmer himself, albeit long removed from daily chores.
Before him, Saskatchewan Conservative Gerry Ritz held the post from 2008-15. He once had a grain and ostrich operation but also ran a general contracting business and a weekly newspaper. He is best known for ending the Canadian Wheat Board.
Canada’s ag ministers were all from the east for the first 44 years after Confederation. Martin Burrell, a fruit grower and Conservative from British Columbia, was the first western minister from 1911-17.
James Gardiner, a Saskatchewan Liberal, is the longest serving at 22 years from 1935-57. He championed the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration, established by a Conservative government.
There are other notables: W. R. Motherwell, Don Mazankowski, Ralph Goodale and Charlie Mayer to name a few.
But the East has theirs too. Ontario Liberal Eugene Whelan implemented the supply management system.
John Wise, an Ontario Progressive Conservative, was key in developing the agricultural component of the first Canada-U.S. free trade agreement.
East-west, Liberal-Conservative, farmer or not, it’s up to farmers to communicate what they need to the minister.
There won’t be a shortage of advice for MacDonald.
Source: producer.com