Minister responsible for the Canadian Food Inspection
Agency
|
Honourable Gerry Ritz
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board
Riding: Battlefords - Lloydminster (Saskatchewan) |
Gerry Ritz was first elected to Parliament in 1997. He was
re-elected in 2000, 2004 and 2006. On January 4, 2007, Mr. Ritz was appointed
Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism).
Before this position, Mr. Ritz served as the Chair of the
Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-food. He has also served as the
Critic for Agriculture and Agri-Food and for Public Works and Government
Services. Mr. Ritz also held the position of Deputy Whip and Question Period
Coordinator for the Official Opposition. He was Chair of the Subcommittee on
the Estimates Process and a member of the standing committees on Finance and
on Transport, the Subcommittee on Private Members’ Business and the Liaison
Committee.
During the course of his career, Mr. Ritz has run his own
farming operation, owned and operated a general contracting business and
co-owned a weekly newspaper. Before entering politics, he worked as
constituency coordinator for former Saskatchewan MP Elwin Hermanson. He was
actively involved in the Rosetown Economic Development Committee, the Knights
of Columbus, and coaching children’s hockey.
Mr. Ritz is married to Judy and has two children.
|