Larry Maguire MP
Maguire in 2013
Member of Parliament forBrandon—Souris
In office November 25, 2013 – March 23, 2025
Preceded by	Merv Tweed
Succeeded by	to be elected
Member of theLegislative Assembly of Manitoba forArthur-Virden
In office September 21, 1999 – October 18, 2013
Preceded by	Jim Downey
Succeeded by	Doyle Piwniuk
Personal details
Born	(1949-06-01)June 1, 1949 (age 75) Souris,Manitoba, Canada
Political party	Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba Conservative Party of Canada
Residence	Virden, Manitoba

Larry MaguireMP (born June 1, 1949) is a politician and activist farmer inManitoba, Canada. Formerly aProgressive Conservative MLA in theLegislative Assembly of Manitoba, he was elected to theHouse of Commons of Canada in aby-election on November 25, 2013. He is a member of theConservative Party of Canada and sits on the House Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.^[1] During the43rd Canadian Parliament Maguire'sPrivate member's bill, Bill C-208, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (transfer of small business or family farm or fishing corporation) was adopted.

Maguire was the owner and operator of Maguire Farms Limited inElgin with his former spouse, Beryl from 1975 to 2001 when the farmland was sold to neighbours. 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 theCanadian Wheat Board Advisory Committee's Western Manitoba Representative, serving from 1987 to 1994.^[2] 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.^[3]

Maguire served as president of theWestern 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.^[4] He was defeated by pro-monopoly candidateBill Nicholson, 2,728 votes to 1,544.^[5]

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.^[6]

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.^[7] 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.^[8]

Maguire sought theProgressive Conservative Party of Manitoba nomination forArthur-Virden in April 1999, but lost to rival candidate Gary Nestibo.^[9] Nestibo forfeited his nomination following allegations of dubious land sales and vote-stacking, however, and a new nomination meeting was scheduled for August.^[10] 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.^[11] He was elected to theLegislative Assembly of Manitoba in the1999 provincial election, as theNew Democratic Party won a majority government underGary 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.^[12] He represented the PCs in an all-party delegation toOttawa to advocate increased funding for farmers,^[13] and served on an all-party provincial committee on agriculture.^[14]

There were rumours that Maguire would campaign to succeedGary Filmon as Progressive Conservative Party leader in 2000, although nothing came of this.^[15] In 2001, he was reassigned as PC critic for rural development.^[16] Shortly thereafter, he recommended conducting research into the possibility of selling large quantities of water to the United States.^[17] In 2002, he participated in an all-party mission to the United States to oppose that country's farm subsidy policies.^[18] He was promoted to finance critic later in the year.^[19]

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.^[20] 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.^[21]

He was re-elected in the2003 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.^[22] In 2004, he opposed a proposal to introduce photo radar in rural Manitoba.^[23]Hugh McFadyen was elected as the Progressive Conservative Party's new leader in 2006, and chose Maguire as his deputy leader and Infrastructure Critic.^[24]

Maguire was re-elected in the2007 provincial election, in which the New Democratic Party won a third consecutive majority government. In September 2007, he was replaced as deputy leader byMyrna Driedger^[25] and was appointed Critic for Infrastructure and Transportation, Government Services, and Competitiveness, Training and Trade.^[26]

In June 1993, Maguire upset provincialcabinet ministerJim McCrae to win theProgressive Conservative Party of Canada nomination forBrandon—Souris in the1993 federal election.^[27] 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 bringingReform Party supporters back to the Progressive Conservatives.^[28]

TheBrandon—Souris riding had been held by the PCs since1953, and had long been considered a safe seat for the party. The party's support base in western Canada collapsed, however, with most of that support transferring to theReform Party. Maguire was pushed into third place behind the Reform candidate andLiberal Party of CanadaGlen McKinnon. He planned to seek the PC nomination again for the1997 election, but withdrew in favour ofBrandon MayorRick Borotsik.^[29]

On August 12, 2013,Merv Tweed, Borotsik's successor, announced his resignation from the House of Commons. The following week, Maguire announced his intention to seek theConservative Party of Canada's nomination in the electoral district.

Maguire was re-elected in the 2015 and 2019 Canadian federal elections. In the lead up to the 2019 election, Maguire was one of 27 candidates with a strong environmental track record from across the political spectrum to be endorsed byGreenPAC. GreenPAC is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that works to elect and support environmental leaders. Maguire's endorsement is a recognition of his efforts to protect water and wetlands as an MLA and an MP. This includes securing funding for water management and wetland restoration projects such as the Assiniboine River Basin Initiative.

During the43rd Canadian Parliament Maguire'sPrivate member's bill, Bill C-208, was adopted. Introduced on February 19, 2020,Bill C-208: An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (transfer of small business or family farm or fishing corporation) applies thecapital gains tax and its exemptions, instead of thedividend tax, to inter-generational transfers of corporations classified as small businesses, family farms, and family fishing corporations so that they are taxed at the same rate as they would when selling to a third party. Previously, it was more financially advantageous for an owner to sell their operation to a third-party than to a family member from a taxation perspective.^[30]

On March 23, 2025, Maguire announced that he would not run for re-election in the2025 federal election.^[31]

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 fromElections Manitoba andElections Canada. Provincial expenditure entries refer to individual candidate expenses. The 1994 Wheat Board election results are taken from theWinnipeg Free Press, December 3, 2004.

• Constituency website
• Larry Maguire – Parliament of Canada biography

• 1949 births
• Living people
• Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba MLAs
• Conservative Party of Canada MPs
• Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Manitoba
• People from Virden, Manitoba
• People from Souris, Manitoba
• 21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada
• 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
• 21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba

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