16 Facts About James Bezan

James Bezan is currently the Conservative Shadow Minister for National Defence.

Bezan was born May 19,1965, in Russell, Manitoba Bezan majored in livestock technology in Olds College's Agricultural Production program.

James Bezan worked in the livestock and cattle industries in the 1980s and 1990s and started his own company in 1996.

James Bezan served as Chief Executive Officer of the Manitoba Cattle Producer's Association and has sat on boards in the fields of cattle and food production.

In opposition, James Bezan served on the executive of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association and as the Conservative Associate Agriculture Critic.

Between 2006 and 2015 as a member of government, James Bezan has served as Chair of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food; Chair of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development; Chair of the Manitoba Conservative Caucus; Chair of the Canadian Section of the Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the Americas ; and Secretary of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group.

James Bezan has advocated marketing choice for Western Canadian grain farmers and fishermen.

James Bezan has been instrumental in securing over $35 million in funding for the Lake Winnipeg Basin Initiative in Budgets 2007 and 2012.

James Bezan was awarded the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, Ukraine's highest civilian award, by the President of Ukraine.

James Bezan, who used artificial tanning equipment, tabled a Private Member's Bill, C-497 in the 40th Canadian Parliament, to strengthen warning labelling on tanning beds on the carcinogenic risks from radiation caused by tanning equipment.

In February 2013, James Bezan tabled Bill C-478, The Respecting Families of Murdered and Brutalized Persons Act.

On September 19,2013, James Bezan was appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence.

James Bezan began the 2nd session of the 41st Parliament with this role.

James Bezan travelled with Prime Minister Harper to Ukraine in 2010 and 2015 and has served as an election monitor in the last four Ukrainian elections.

James Bezan lobbied to have the Iranian embassy shut down and have the MeK delisted as a terrorist organization.

James Bezan was one of thirteen Canadians banned from travelling to Russia under retaliatory sanctions imposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2014.