James Bezan
James Bezan (born May 19, 1965 in Russell, Manitoba) is a Canadian politician. In 2004, he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a Conservative.
Bezan attended Olds College in Alberta (on a basketball scholarship), where he majored in livestock technology and received a degree in Agricultural Production. Bezan worked in the livestock and cattle industries in the 1980s and 1990s, and started his own company in 1996. He was the Chief Executive Officer of the Manitoba Cattle Producer's Association for a time, and has sat on numerous boards in the fields of cattle and food production. After the start of the BSE crisis in 2003, Bezan was hired as a crop adjuster and sales assistant with the Manitoba Crop Insurance Corporation. He also operates a family farm near Teulon, Manitoba.
The Canadian federal election of 2004 was Bezan's first venture into politics. He was elected in the riding of Selkirk—Interlake, which has usually supported right-of-centre candidates in recent decades. He took about 47% of the vote, enough to defeat his Liberal and NDP rivals.
Bezan is an opponent of the Canadian Wheat Board's monopoly status, and has argued in favour of membership on a voluntary basis. He has stated that drawing attention to the BSE crisis will be his leading priority in parliament. Bezan is also an opponent of the Canadian gun registry and gay marriage.