Ralph Ferguson

Who is Ralph Ferguson?

Ralph Ferguson, PC is a farmer and former Canadian politician.

Ferguson is a farmer in south-western Ontario, and co-founder of the Lambton Pork Producers Association. In the late 1950s, he was chairman of the Lambton County Egg Producers.

He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1980 federal election as the Liberal Member of Parliament for Lambton--Middlesex.

Fergurson served as parliamentary secretary to the Minister of State for Small Businesses and Tourism from 1980 to 1982, Deputy Government Whip from 1982 to 1984, and parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Finance from March to June 1984.

When John Turner succeeded Pierre Trudeau as Liberal leader and Prime Minister of Canada, he brought Ferguson into the Cabinet as Minister of Agriculture, succeeding long-time Trudeau Agriculture minister Eugene Whelan.

Ferguson's cabinet career was short-lived, however, as both he and the Turner government were defeated in the September 1984 federal election.

As a backbench MP, Ferguson participated in several trade missions as an advocate of export market expansion.