Larry Maguire

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.

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 twice elected as the Canadian Wheat Board Advisory Committee's Western Manitoba Representative, serving from 1987 to 1994. [ [http://www.larrymaguire.com/Biography.htm Larry Maguire: Biography] , Larry Maguire, accessed 15 December 2006.] He was also chairman of the Agricultural Diversification Alliance (ADA) and a public governor of the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange in this period, and advocated changes to the federal Crow Equity Fund. ["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.]

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. [Bill Redekop, "Wheat board future sparks bitter battle", "Winnipeg Free Press", 14 November 1994.] He was defeated by pro-monopoly candidate Bill Nicholson, 2,728 votes to 1,544. [Bill Redekop, "Farmers' votes a solid rejection of voluntary monopoly' reforms", "Winnipeg Free Press", 3 December 1994.]

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. [Mathew Ingram, "Wheat board debate far from over", "Winnipeg Free Press", 27 March 1997.]

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. [Paul Samyn, "Sowing seeds of industry", "Winnipeg Free Press", 2 February 1998, A1.] 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. [Stevens Wild, "CWB recount bolsters pro-monopoly forces", "Winnipeg Free Press", 15 December 1998, B4.]

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. [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.] 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. [Don Campbell, "Tory scores upset win", "Winnipeg Free Press", 23 June 1993.]

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 in western Canada collapsed, however, and 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. ["Way clear for Borotsik", "Winnipeg Free Press", 18 October 1996, A9.]

;Provincial politics

Maguire sought the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba nomination for Arthur-Virden in April 1999, but lost to rival candidate Gary Nestibo. [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.] Nestibo forfeited his nomination following allegations of dubious land sales and vote-stacking, however, and a new nomination meeting was scheduled for August. [Bill Redekop, "Defendant in lawsuit denies breaking any election rules", "Winnipeg Free Press", 29 July 1999, A6.] 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. [Helen Fallding, "Tory nomination goes to second ballot", "Winnipeg Free Press", 13 August 1999, A3.] 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. ["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.] He represented the PCs in an all-party delegation to Ottawa to advocate increased funding for farmers, [David Kuxhaus, "Prairie politicians band together to plead farmers' case", "Winnipeg Free Press", 21 October 1999, A3.] and served on an all-party provincial committee on agriculture. [Helen Fallding, "United farm front is starting to fray", "Winnipeg Free Press", 9 May 2001, A13.]

There were rumours that Maguire would campaign to succeed Gary Filmon as Progressive Conservative Party leader in 2000, although nothing came of this. [David Roberts, "Majority win has Doer 'energized'", "Globe and Mail", 23 September 1999, A4.] In 2001, he was reassigned as PC critic for rural development. ["Mba-Shadow-Cabinet", "Broadcast News", 27 September 2001, 13:20.] Shortly thereafter, he recommended conducting research into the possibility of selling large quantities of water to the United States of America. [Helen Fallding, "Manitoba-based think tank promotes fresh water exports to U.S.", "Canadian Press", 28 September 2001, 12:56.] In 2002, he participated in an all-party mission to the United States to oppose that country's farm subsidy policies. ["Farm bill foes take case to U.S.", "Winnipeg Free Press", 23 May 2002, A7.] He was promoted to finance critic later in the year. [Mia Rabson, "Cash squeeze pinches province", "Winnipeg Free Press", 24 December 2002, A1.]

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. [Helen Fallding, "Northern MLAs the biggest spenders", "Winnipeg Free Press", 29 June 2001, A5.] 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. ["How politicians stand on the issue", "Winnipeg Free Press", 1 April 2002, A9.]

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. ["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.] In 2004, he opposed a proposal to introduce photo radar in rural Manitoba. ["Cameras to target country speeders", "Winnipeg Free Press", 15 February 2004, A1.] Hugh McFadyen was elected as the Progressive Conservative Party's new leader in 2006, and chose Maguire as his deputy leader and Infrastructure Critic. ["Floodway wages keep going up", "Winnipeg Free Press", 20 April 2007, B3; "Tories name new shadow cabinet", "Winnipeg Free Press", 6 May 2006, A4.]

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. [Mary Agnes Welch, "Tories revamp chorus of critics", "Winnipeg Free Press", 8 September 2007, A8.] He remains Critic for Infrastructure and Transportation, Government Services, and Competitiveness, Training and Trade. [ [http://www.manpc.mb.ca/Default.aspx?tabid=807 "PC Shadow Cabinet"] , Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba, accessed 2 November 2007. In October 2007, he criticized the Doer government's decision not to open a four-line highway to the Saskatchewan border ahead of schedule. See Mia Rabson, "Get to Saskatchewan faster", "Winnipeg Free Press", 25 October 2007, A3.]

Table of offices held

Electoral record

All Manitoba divisions were redistributed before the 1999 election.

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