Minister responsible for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency

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.

• Visit the Minister's web page on the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's web site
• The Minister can be contacted by:

  E-mail:

  AAFC web site

  Mail (postage free):

  Honourable Gerry Ritz
  Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
  Sir John Carling Building
  930 Carling Avenue
  Ottawa, Ontario
  K1A 0C5