Charles James Mayer, (born April 21, 1936) is a Canadian businessman and former federal

Minister of Agriculture An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister f ...

. He was educated at the

University of Saskatchewan A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

and became an agrologist and farmer. Politically active, Mayer was president of the Manitoba Beef Growers Association before entering the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Common ...

as a Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament in 1979. He represented the Manitoba riding of

Portage—Marquette Portage—Marquette was a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1979 to 1988. This riding was created in 1976 from parts of Marquette and Portage ridings. It was abolishe ...

(later

Lisgar—Marquette Lisgar—Marquette was a federal electoral district in the province of Manitoba, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 to 1997. This riding was created in 1987 from parts of Lisgar and Portage—Marquette ri ...

) until his defeat in 1993. He served in the

Brian Mulroney Martin Brian Mulroney ( ; born March 20, 1939) is a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993. Born in the eastern Quebec city of Baie-Comeau, Mulroney studied political sci ...

government as Minister of State for the

Canadian Wheat Board The Canadian Wheat Board (french: Commission canadienne du blé, links=no) was a marketing board for wheat and barley in Western Canada. Established by the Parliament of Canada on 5 July 1935, its operation was governed by the Canadian Wheat Bo ...

until 1987 and then was Minister of State for Grains and Seedoils until 1993 also serving as Minister of Western Economic Diversification from 1989. In early 1993 he was promoted to

and was retained in that position during the short-lived government of Mulroney's successor,

Kim Campbell Avril Phaedra Douglas "Kim" Campbell (born March 10, 1947) is a Canadian politician, diplomat, lawyer, and writer who served as the 19th prime minister of Canada from June 25 to November 4, 1993. Campbell is the first and so far only female p ...

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Agriculture and Agri-Food Biography
* 1936 births Living people Canadian farmers Members of the 24th Canadian Ministry Members of the 25th Canadian Ministry Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Manitoba Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada Canadian Presbyterians Progressive Conservative Party of Canada MPs {{Manitoba-politician-stub