Bezan seeking sixth term as MP

James Bezan, who graduated from Olds College in Agricultural Production and worked in the agricultural industry, was first elected as MP for Selkirk-Interlake-Eastman in 2004.

Stonewall Argus: What has inspired you to run in the 2019 Federal Election for Member of Parliament?

James Bezan: I wanted to run in this election because Canadians cannot afford another four years of Justin Trudeau.  Canadians are being squeezed for more and more taxes by this Liberal government to pay for their out of control spending. Under Trudeau, Canada has lost our place in the world which is impacting us right here at home with lost markets for our beef, canola, pork, pulses and soybeans. We need a Conservative government to steer our country in a better direction.

SA: How do you feel you can make a difference for your local community?

JB: There are major issues in this riding that need a strong federal voice in Ottawa to solve. Major issues for my area are affordability for constituents, feed shortages for livestock producers, wet fall slowing down harvest, health of Lake Winnipeg basin, and rural crime.  We have to get rid of the Trudeau carbon tax. People in rural communities have no choice but to drive and carbon taxes punish us disproportionately while doing nothing for the environment. The feed shortages are becoming critical and some of our livestock producers are in serious danger of going out of business. The nutrient load creating the algae blooms in Lake Winnipeg must be addressed. It is having a negative impact on both the health of our ecosystem and our local economy. All levels of government need to act quickly to address the main cause – the dumping of untreated sewage into the lake basin. Concerning rural crime, the Conservative Party has investigated this issue in depth in the last Parliament, and we look forward to implementing solutions that ensure the safety of our rural and remote communities.

SA: What aspect of your party’s platform do you admire most in order to make a difference locally and for all residents of Canada?

JB: People are increasingly concerned about the algae blooms in Lake Winnipeg and Lake Manitoba and they’ve been waiting for help while watching the basin economies sink. Andrew Scheer announced a Conservative government will end the practice of dumping raw sewage into our waterways, including in the Red River. This will be a big step to reducing the nutrient levels and attacking the problem head-on.

SA: How do you feel you can contribute most to your political party if elected?

JB: It’s important for the voices of rural Canadians to be heard in Ottawa. That was the reason I first ran for Parliament and it’s still the reason now.

The only party that has consistently defended the interests of farmers and rural Canadians is the Conservative Party.

We need a Conservative government that respects our agricultural producers, understands trade and is ready to take the fight to Beijing.

SA: What is the number one issue in your mind for the constituency that you are running in (Selkirk-Interlake-Eastman)?

JB: The number one issue being affordability. So many families are being hit hard by the carbon tax on top of the higher taxes on the middle class imposed by the Liberals. 

Our Conservative platform is aimed at making life more affordable for all Canadians while lowering taxes and maintaining essential spending on things like health, education, and social services. We will achieve this by cutting foreign aid to countries that are relatively well-off, cutting corporate welfare to companies and executives that don’t need it, and scrapping the carbon tax and replacing it with  a real plan for our environment that takes the climate fight global and ends dumping of raw sewage into our lakes and waterways.

SA: What is the number one issue in your mind for Canada?

JB: Canadians need a government they can trust to get us back to a balanced budget within five years and make life more affordable through a Universal Tax Cut, increasing the Age Credit by $1,000, re-introducing the Childrens’ Sports and Arts Tax Credit, and replacing the Liberal Carbon Tax with a plan that cleans up our lakes and rivers while investing in green technology. 

SA: What are you doing personally and what is your party doing in order to get a higher voter turnout and to engage voters in this federal election?

JB: (My wife) Kelly and I have been knocking on doors across our riding for the past two years. I am constantly visiting communities in our riding, listening to our constituents and sharing their ideas with the Party and my Conservative colleagues.

— Compiled by Brook Jones