Larry Maguire


Larry Maguire is a politician and activist farmer in Manitoba, Canada. Formerly a Progressive Conservative MLA in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, he was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in a by-election on November 25, 2013. He is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada and sits on the House Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities and the House Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security.

Farming activist

Maguire was the owner and operator of Maguire Farms Limited in Elgin with his former spouse, Beryl from 1975 to 2001 when the farmland was sold to neighbours. 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 twice elected as the Canadian Wheat Board Advisory Committee's Western Manitoba Representative, serving from 1987 to 1994. He was also chairman of the Agricultural Diversification Alliance and a public governor of the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange in this period, and advocated changes to the federal Crow Equity Fund.
Maguire served as president of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association from 1995 to 1999. This group opposed the Canadian Wheat Board's single-desk marketing policy, and favoured market competition in wheat and barley. Maguire campaigned for re-election as a Wheat Board advisor in 1994 on an openly anti-monopoly platform, arguing that sellers could receive higher prices through an open market. Others disagreed with his assessment. He was defeated by pro-monopoly candidate Bill Nicholson, 2,728 votes to 1,544.
Maguire supported 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. Maguire was critical of the referendum question, arguing that it should have included a dual-market option.
In 1998, Maguire was appointed to a council evaluating proposals for the Agri-food Research and Development Initiative. This was a joint project from the federal and provincial governments. 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.

Politician

;Federal politics
In June 1993, Maguire upset provincial cabinet minister Jim McCrae to win the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada nomination for Brandon—Souris in the 1993 federal election. The final vote among party members 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.
The Brandon—Souris riding had been held by the PCs since 1953, and had long been considered a safe seat for the party. The party's support base in western Canada collapsed, however, with most of that support transferring to the Reform Party. Maguire was pushed into third place behind the Reform candidate and Liberal Party of Canada Glen McKinnon. He planned to seek the PC nomination again for the 1997 election, but withdrew in favour of Brandon Mayor Rick Borotsik.
On August 12, 2013, Merv Tweed, Borotsik's successor, announced his resignation from the House of Commons. The following week, Maguire announced his intention to seek the Conservative Party of Canada's nomination in the electoral district.
;Provincial politics
Maguire sought the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba nomination for Arthur-Virden in April 1999, but lost to rival candidate Gary Nestibo. Nestibo forfeited his nomination following allegations of dubious land sales and vote-stacking, however, and a new nomination meeting was scheduled for August. 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. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in the 1999 provincial election, as the New Democratic Party won a majority government under Gary Doer. 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 provincial Water Rights Act. He represented the PCs in an all-party delegation to Ottawa to advocate increased funding for farmers, and served on an all-party provincial committee on agriculture.
There were rumours that Maguire would campaign to succeed Gary Filmon as Progressive Conservative Party leader in 2000, although nothing came of this. In 2001, he was reassigned as PC critic for rural development. Shortly thereafter, he recommended conducting research into the possibility of selling large quantities of water to the United States. In 2002, he participated in an all-party mission to the United States to oppose that country's farm subsidy policies. He was promoted to finance critic later in the year.
Maguire decided not to open a constituency office following his 1999 election, saying that he could communicate with his constituents by telephone and e-mail. In 2002, he was one of five PC MLAs to support a government motion granting pension, alimony and death benefits to gay and lesbian spouses.
He was re-elected in the 2003 provincial election, as the NDP won an increased majority across the province. After the election, he served as his party's critic for transportation, conservation and intergovernmental affairs. In 2004, he opposed a proposal to introduce photo radar in rural Manitoba. Hugh McFadyen was elected as the Progressive Conservative Party's new leader in 2006, and chose Maguire as his deputy leader and Infrastructure Critic.
Maguire was re-elected in the 2007 provincial election, in which the New Democratic Party won a third consecutive majority government. In September 2007, he was replaced as deputy leader by Myrna Driedger and was appointed Critic for Infrastructure and Transportation, Government Services, and Competitiveness, Training and Trade.

Electoral record

Federal

Provincial

Other

Maguire seems to have been elected as the Canadian Wheat Board's Western Manitoba advisor in 1986 and 1990.
All provincial and federal electoral information is taken from Elections Manitoba and Elections Canada. Provincial expenditure entries refer to individual candidate expenses. The 1994 Wheat Board election results are taken from the Winnipeg Free Press, 3 December 2004.

Footnotes