Larry Maguire

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Larry Maguire (born June 1, 1949) is a politician and activist farmer in Manitoba, Canada. He is currently the Deputy Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba in the Manitoba legislature.

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[edit] Farming activist

Maguire is the owner and operator of Maguire Farms Limited in Elgin. He was named mid-Canada's Outstanding Young Farmer in 1986, and received a Certificate of Merit from the Manitoba Agricultural and Food Sciences Grads Association in 1990. He was elected to serve as the Canadian Wheat Board's Western Manitoba Advisory Representative in the late 1980s and early 1990s.[1] Maguire was also chairman of the Agricultural Diversification Alliance (ADA) and a public director on the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange during this period, and advocated changes to the federal Crow Equity Fund.[2]

Maguire later served as president of the Western Canadian Wheat Grower's Association, a group that opposed the Canadian Wheat Board's single-desk marketing policy and favoured market competition in wheat and barley. He campaigned for re-election as a CWB advisor in 1994 on an openly anti-monopoly platform, arguing that sellers could receive higher prices in an open market. Others disagreed with his assessment.[3] He was defeated by pro-monopoly candidate Bill Nicholson, 2,728 votes to 1,544.[4]

Maguire promoted the anti-monopoly position in a 1997 CWB referendum on barley sales. Farmers rejected this position, with 67% opting to remain with single-desk marketing. When the results were released, Maguire indicated that larger producers tended to opposed the wheat board, and argued that this should have been factored into the results.[5] He also criticized the referendum question, saying that it should have included a dual-market option.[6]

In 1998, Maguire was appointed to a council evaluating proposals for the Agri-food Research and Development Initiative. This was a joint initiative by the federal and provincial governments.[7] Later in the same year, he endorsed anti-monopoly candidates in the first ever election of the Canadian Wheat Board's directors. Pro-monopoly candidates won eight of the ten positions.[8]

[edit] Federal politics

In June 1993, Maguire defeated provincial cabinet minister Jim McCrae in a significant upset to win the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada nomination for Brandon—Souris in the 1993 federal election.[9] The final vote was 1,520 to 1,194. Maguire emphasized farming issues in his nomination speech, and argued that he would be successful in bringing Reform Party supporters back to the Progressive Conservatives.[10]

The Brandon—Souris riding had been held by the PCs since 1953, and was considered a safe seat for the party. The party's support base collapsed in western Canada, however, following a disastrous national campaign. Maguire finished third against Liberal Party of Canada candidate Glen McKinnon. He planned to seek the PC nomination again for the 1997 election, but withdrew in favour of Brandon Mayor Rick Borotsik.[11]

[edit] Provincial politics

Maguire sought the provincial Progressive Conservative nomination for Arthur-Virden in April 1999, and lost to rival candidate Gary Nestibo.[12] Nestibo forfeited his nomination following allegations of dubious land sales and vote-stacking, and a new nomination meeting was scheduled for August.[13] Maguire finished second on the first ballot, behind Gary's wife Lorna Nestibo, but won on the second count with support from third-place candidate Grant Fotheringham.[14] He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in the 1999 provincial election, which was won by the New Democratic Party. He entered the legislature as a member of the opposition.

Maguire was appointed as the Progressive Conservative critic for the environment, and lobbied for improvements to the Water Rights Act.[15] He represented the PCs in an all-party provincial delegation to Ottawa to advocate increased funding for farmers,[16] and served on an all-party provincial committee on agriculture.[17]

There were rumours that Maguire would campaign to succeed Gary Filmon as Progressive Conservative Party leader following the election, although nothing came of this.[18] In 2001, he was reassigned as PC critic for rural development.[19] Shortly thereafter, he recommended conducting research into the possibility of selling large quantities of water to the United States of America.[20] In 2002, he participated in an all-party mission to the United States to oppose that country's farm subsidy policies.[21] He was promoted to finance critic later in the year.[22]

Maguire decided not to open a constituency office after his election, saying that he could communicate with his constituents by telephone and e-mail.[23] He was one of five PC MLAs to support a government motion granting pension, alimony and death benefits to gay and lesbian spouses in 2002.[24]

He was re-elected in the 2003 provincial election, as the NDP won an increased majority across the province. Following the election, he served as his party's critic for transportation, conservation and intergovernmental affairs.[25] In 2004, he opposed a proposal to introduce photo radar in rural Manitoba.[26]

After Hugh McFadyen won the party leadership in 2006, he named Maguire as his deputy leader.[27]

[edit] Electoral record

2003 Manitoba provincial election : Arthur-Virden edit
Party Candidate Votes % Expenditures
     Progressive Conservative (x)Larry Maguire 4,135 53.81 $16,859.29
     New Democratic Party Perry Kalynuk 3,219 41.89 $12,413.35
     Liberal Vaughn Ramsay 331 4.31 $1,630.42
Total valid votes 7,685 100.00
Rejected and declined ballots 25
Turnout 7,710 60.40
Electors on the lists 12,765


1999 Manitoba provincial election : Arthur-Virden edit
Party Candidate Votes % Expenditures
     Progressive Conservative Larry Maguire 4,215 49.25 $21,631.54
     New Democratic Party Perry Kalynuk 3,063 35.79 $6,262.00
     Liberal Bob Brigden 1,281 14.97 $9,722.15
Total valid votes 8,559 100.00
Rejected and declined ballots 66
Turnout 8,625 64.57
Electors on the lists 13,358


1993 federal election : Brandon—Souris edit
Party Candidate Votes %
     Liberal Glen McKinnon 12,130 33.00
     Reform Edward Agnew 11,163 30.37
     Progressive Conservative Larry Maguire 8,236 22.41
     New Democratic Party Ross C. Martin 4,359 11.86
     Christian Heritage Abe Neufeld 339 0.92
     National Eldon Obach 336 0.91
     Natural Law Robert Roberts 112 0.30
     Canada Party George H. Armstrong 82 0.22
Total valid votes 36,757 100.00
Total rejected ballots 128
Turnout 36,885 68.74
Electors on lists 53,659

All electoral information is taken from Elections Manitoba and Elections Canada.

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ "Mayer on mission to USSR", Canada NewsWire, 23 January 1989, 17:17.
  2. ^ "Alliance announces National Coalition", Canada NewsWire, 6 November 1991, 15:40; Darren Scheuttler, "Crow debate reborn in GATT shadow", Financial Post, 30 January 1992, 12; Don Campbell, "Tories enter pressure-cooker", Winnipeg Free Press, 22 June 1993.
  3. ^ Bill Redekop, "Wheat board future sparks bitter battle", Winnipeg Free Press, 14 November 1994.
  4. ^ Bill Redekop, "Farmers' votes a solid rejection of voluntary monopoly' reforms", Winnipeg Free Press, 3 December 1994.
  5. ^ Bill Redekop, "Farmers give wheat board thumbs up", Winnipeg Free Press, 26 March 1997, A3.
  6. ^ Mathew Ingram, "Wheat board debate far from over", Winnipeg Free Press, 27 March 1997.
  7. ^ Paul Samyn, "Sowing seeds of industry", Winnipeg Free Press, 2 February 1998, A1.
  8. ^ Stevens Wild, "CWB recount bolsters pro-monopoly forces", Winnipeg Free Press, 15 December 1998, B4.
  9. ^ Maguire was supported by Felix Holtmann, an MP from a neighbouring riding. See Don Campbell, "Brandon Tory battle hard-fought", Winnipeg Free Press, 23 June 1993.
  10. ^ Don Campbell, "Tory scores upset win", Winnipeg Free Press, 23 June 1993.
  11. ^ "Way clear for Borotsik", Winnipeg Free Press, 18 October 1996, A9.
  12. ^ Helen Fallding, "Nestibo gets nod at huge Tory meeting", Winnipeg Free Press, 29 April 1999, A10. The other two candidates were Dale Smeltz and Grant Fotheringham.
  13. ^ Bill Redekop, "Defendant in lawsuit denies breaking any election rules", Winnipeg Free Press, 29 July 1999, A6.
  14. ^ Helen Fallding, "Tory nomination goes to second ballot", Winnipeg Free Press, 13 August 1999, A3.
  15. ^ "Tory eyes on NDP", Winnipeg Free Press, 23 October 1999, A5; Helen Fallding, "Drainage battle may go all the way to Supreme Court", Winnipeg Free Press, 3 April 2000, A6.
  16. ^ David Kuxhaus, "Prairie politicians band together to plead farmers' case", Winnipeg Free Press, 21 October 1999, A3.
  17. ^ Helen Fallding, "United farm front is starting to fray", Winnipeg Free Press, 9 May 2001, A13.
  18. ^ David Roberts, "Majority win has Doer 'energized'", Globe and Mail, 23 September 1999, A4.
  19. ^ "Mba-Shadow-Cabinet", Broadcast News, 27 September 2001, 13:20.
  20. ^ Helen Fallding, "Manitoba-based think tank promotes fresh water exports to U.S.", Canadian Press, 28 September 2001, 12:56.
  21. ^ "Farm bill foes take case to U.S.", Winnipeg Free Press, 23 May 2002, A7.
  22. ^ Mia Rabson, "Cash squeeze pinches province", Winnipeg Free Press, 24 December 2002, A1.
  23. ^ Helen Fallding, "Northern MLAs the biggest spenders", Winnipeg Free Press, 29 June 2001, A5.
  24. ^ "How politicians stand on the issue", Winnipeg Free Press, 1 April 2002, A9.
  25. ^ "New device, road test to curb drunk drivers", Winnipeg Free Press, 29 November 2003, B9; Mia Rabson, "Tory hits lack of review for Waverley West", Winnipeg Free Press, 15 April 2005, B1; "Mba-campers", Broadcast News, 11 April 2006, 15:52.
  26. ^ "Cameras to target country speeders", Winnipeg Free Press, 15 February 2004, A1.
  27. ^ "Tories name new shadow cabinet", Winnipeg Free Press, 6 May 2006, A4.
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