The Honourable Gerry Ritz

Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board

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.

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