John Barlow (Canadian politician)

John Barlow MP (born October 13, 1971) is a Canadian politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Foothills since 2015. A member of the Conservative Party, Barlow was first elected to the House of Commons following a by-election in 2014 and represented Macleod. Prior to his election, Barlow was editor of the Western Wheel, a newspaper in Okotoks, Alberta.[1]

John Barlow
John Barlow in 2018
Barlow in 2018
Member of Parliament
for Foothills
(Macleod; 2014–2015)
Assumed office
June 30, 2014
Preceded byTed Menzies
Personal details
Born (1971-10-13) October 13, 1971 (age 53)
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Political partyConservative
Other political
affiliations
Alberta Progressive Conservative (2012)
Residence(s)Okotoks, Alberta, Canada
Profession
  • Politician
  • newspaper editor

Political career

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Barlow had previously run for the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta in Highwood during the 2012 Alberta general election,[2] losing to Wildrose leader Danielle Smith. He ran and was elected in the riding of Macleod in a 2014 federal by-election[3] resulting from the retirement of MP Ted Menzies.

He was re-elected after the 2015 election, in the riding of Foothills,[4] essentially a reconfigured version of his old riding and was re-elected again on following the 2019 election.[5]

Deputy Critic for Employment, Workforce Development, and Labour (2015–2016)

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In 2015, Barlow was appointed Deputy Critic for Employment, Workforce Development, and Labour by newly appointed interim leader of the Conservative Party, Rona Ambrose. He was also elected Vice Chair on the Standing Committee on Natural Resources.

Interprovincial Trade Critic (2016–2017)

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In 2016, Barlow was appointed as Interprovincial Trade Critic[6] by Rona Ambrose, the interim Conservative leader. As critic, he focused on the campaign, #FreeTheBeer,[7] which is intended to build public pressure for the provinces to ratify a free trade deal for Canada, specifically focused on alcohol trade between provinces.

Also in 2016, Barlow tabled his private member's bill C-351, "An Act to amend the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act and the Excise Act, 2001 (importation)".[8] If passed, this legislation would:

  • allow producers to sell their product directly to consumers anywhere in Canada without permission of a provincial liquor board, and
  • allow a person to transport alcohol from one province to another for personal use.[9]

The Bill did not reach second reading as its provisions were adopted in that year's budget implementation bill.

Associate Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Agri-Food (2017–2018)

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In 2018, newly elected leader of the Conservative Party, Andrew Scheer, appointed Barlow as Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Agri-Food (Associate). Simultaneously, Barlow also sat on the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.[10]

Shadow Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour (2018–2019)

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In 2018, Scheer appointed Barlow as Shadow Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Labour.[11] He was also elected as the Vice-Chair for the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.[12]

Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Agri-Food, and Food Security (2019–2020, 2021–present)

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In 2019, Scheer appointed Barlow as Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Agri-Food. He was elected Vice Chair of the committee on Agriculture.

In 2020, newly elected leader, Erin O'Toole replaced Barlow in this role with Lianne Rood. During this time, Barlow served as a member of the standing committee on Health.

In 2021, O'Toole, appointed Barlow as Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Agri-Food, and Food Security once again for the 44th Parliament. He was again elected as Vice-Chair of the Standing committee on Agriculture. Barlow retained this role and was reappointed under Pierre Poilievre's leadership.[13]

His Private Member's Bill, C-275, An Act to amend the Health of Animals Act (biosecurity on farms), passed the House of Commons in 2023. The bill would amend "the Health of Animals Act to make it an offence to enter, without lawful authority or excuse, a place in which animals are kept if doing so could reasonably be expected to result in the exposure of the animals to a disease or toxic substance that is capable of affecting or contaminating them."[14]

Electoral record

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Federal

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2021 Canadian federal election: Foothills
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative John Barlow 44,456 69.23 -12.90 $33,083.27
New Democratic Michelle Traxel 7,117 11.08 +5.34 $0.00
People's Daniel Hunter 5,111 7.96 +5.37 $0.00
Liberal Paula Shimp 4,441 6.92 +1.04 $3,499.22
Maverick Josh Wylie 2,289 3.57 $16,164.90
Green Brett Rogers 802 1.25 -2.41 $48.80
Total valid votes/Expense limit 64,216 $126,382.56
Total rejected ballots 251
Turnout
Eligible voters
Source: Elections Canada[15]
2019 Canadian federal election: Foothills
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative John Barlow 53,872 82.13 +6.63 $51,528.31
Liberal Cheryl Moller 3,856 5.88 -7.48 $3,720.22
New Democratic Mickail Hendi 3,767 5.74 -0.69 $0.00
Green Bridget Lacey 2,398 3.66 +0.41 none listed
People's Greg Hession 1,698 2.59 $11,956.99
Total valid votes/expense limit 65,591 100.0
Total rejected ballots 290
Turnout 65,881 76,6
Eligible voters 86,027
Conservative hold Swing +7.05
Source: Elections Canada[16][17]
2015 Canadian federal election: Foothills
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative John Barlow 46,166 75.70 -2.12 $66,508.37
Liberal Tanya MacPherson 8,149 13.36 +9.84 $3,837.36
New Democratic Alison Thompson 3,919 6.43 -3.67 $9,096.95
Green Romy Tittel 1,983 3.25 -1.50 $16,306.65
Libertarian Cory Morgan 424 0.70
Christian Heritage Marc Slingerland 345 0.57 $9,192.08
Total valid votes/expense limit 60,986 100.00   $237,098.11
Total rejected ballots 141 0.23
Turnout 61,127 74.20
Eligible voters 82,380
Conservative hold Swing -5.98
Source: Elections Canada[18][19]
Canadian federal by-election, June 30, 2014: Macleod
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Barlow 12,616 69.16 −8.33
Liberal Dustin Fuller 3,092 16.95 +13.27
Green Larry Ashmore 991 5.43 +0.81
Christian Heritage David J. Reimer 774 4.24 +3.75
New Democratic Aileen Burke 770 4.22 −6.11
Total valid votes/expense limit 18,243 100.0
Total rejected ballots 81 0.44
Turnout 18,324 19.92 −41.60
Eligible voters 92,007
Conservative hold Swing −10.80
By-election due to the resignation of Ted Menzies.
Source: Elections Canada[20]



Provincial

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2012 Alberta general election: Highwood
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Wildrose Alliance Danielle Smith 10,094 52.59% 40.74%
Progressive Conservative John Barlow 8,159 42.51% −22.60%
Liberal Keegan Gibson 547 2.85% −11.05%
New Democratic Miles Dato 392 2.04% −1.26%
Total 19,192
Rejected, spoiled and declined 50 33 10
Eligible electors / turnout 32,659 58.95% 17.86%
Wildrose Alliance gain from Progressive Conservative Swing −20.56%
Source(s)
Source: "63 - Highwood, 2012 Alberta general election". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
Chief Electoral Officer (2012). The Report of the Chief Electoral Officer on the 2011 Provincial Enumeration and Monday, April 23, 2012 Provincial General Election of the Twenty-eighth Legislative Assembly (PDF) (Report). Edmonton, Alta.: Elections Alberta. pp. 378–382. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.

References

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  1. ^ Graveland, Bill (March 9, 2014). "John Barlow wins hotly contested federal Conservative nomination for Macleod byelection". Ottawa Citizen. Archived from the original on March 9, 2014. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
  2. ^ Walton, Dawn (28 March 2012). "Redford and Smith hit Alberta hustings on each other's turf". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  3. ^ "PARLINFO - Parliamentarian File - Contact Information - BARLOW, John". Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  4. ^ "Voter Information Service - Election results since 2015". www.elections.ca. Retrieved 2018-01-10.
  5. ^ Burnett, Ben. "John Barlow Re-Elected as Foothills MP". OkotoksOnline.com. Retrieved 2019-10-24.
  6. ^ "I was appointed as Interprovincial Trade Critic". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 2022-03-12. Retrieved 2018-01-10.
  7. ^ Canada, Conservative Party of. "Free the Beer". Free the Beer. Retrieved 2018-01-10.
  8. ^ "LEGISinfo - Private Member's Bill C-351 (42-1)". www.parl.ca. Retrieved 2018-01-10.
  9. ^ "Bill C-351 | John Barlow". johnbarlowmp.ca. Archived from the original on 2018-01-12. Retrieved 2018-01-10.
  10. ^ "AGRI - Members". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  11. ^ "John Barlow appointed as Shadow Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Labour | John Barlow". johnbarlowmp.ca. Archived from the original on 2022-03-19. Retrieved 2018-10-26.
  12. ^ "HUMA - Members - House of Commons of Canada". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved 2018-10-26.
  13. ^ "Pierre Poilievre announces Inflation-busting Conservative Shadow Cabinet". RealAgriculture.com. Retrieved 2022-10-10.
  14. ^ "Private Member's Bill C-275 (44-1) - Third Reading - An Act to amend the Health of Animals Act (biosecurity on farms) - Parliament of Canada". www.parl.ca. Retrieved 2024-04-18.
  15. ^ "List of confirmed candidates – September 20, 2021 Federal Election". Elections Canada. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  16. ^ "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  17. ^ "Election Night Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  18. ^ "October 19, 2015 Election Results — Foothills (Validated results)". Elections Canada. 22 October 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  19. ^ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates Archived August 15, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ "Elections Canada". Elections Canada. June 30, 2014. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
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