{{Short description|Canadian politician}} {{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Mervin C. Tweed | birth_date = {{birth date and age |1955|8|6}} | birth_place = Medora, Manitoba, Canada | death_date = | death_place = | profession = Automobile dealer <!-- profession before entering politics --> | party = Conservative | office1 = Member of Parliament <br />for Brandon—Souris | term_start1 = June 28, 2004 | term_end1 = August 31, 2013 | predecessor1 = Rick Borotsik | successor1 = Larry Maguire | office2 = Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for Turtle Mountain | term_start2 = April 25, 1995 | term_end2 = May 25, 2004 | predecessor2 = Bob Rose | successor2 = Cliff Cullen | office3 = Chair of the Standing Committee on <br />Agriculture | minister3 = Gerry Ritz | term_start3 = 25 September 2012 | term_end3 = 23 October 2013 | predecessor3 = Larry Miller | successor3 = Bev Shipley }} '''Mervin C. Tweed''' (born August 6, 1955) is a retired politician in Manitoba, Canada. He represented Brandon—Souris in the House of Commons of Canada from 2004 to August 31, 2013. Prior to that he was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1995 to 2004, representing the constituency of Turtle Mountain.<ref name=parlinfo>{{Canadian Parliament links|ID=9511|nolist=yes}}</ref> He was the president of Omnitrax, the American rail company that was responsible for the Churchill rail line. After letting the rail line fall into disrepair and ignoring Federal orders to repair it, the American owners sold it to the Federal Government of Canada who then transferred it to a consortium of First Nations. The rebranded Arctic Gateway has since been revitalized and operates to this day after the neglect it went through under American management.
==Background== Tweed was born in Medora, Manitoba,<ref name=parlinfo/> and was educated at Brandon University. He operated a used car dealership for seventeen years, and was for a time an executive member of the Killarney and Area Recreation Committee.
==Municipal politician==
Tweed began his political career in municipal politics, serving as a councillor in the rural municipality of Brenda for five years, and as deputy reeve for three.<ref name=parlinfo/> Tweed returned to municipal politics in 2021 after being elected mayor of the Municipality of Killarney-Turtle Mountain<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.brandonsun.com/local/Tweed-reenters-politics-as-Killarney-mayor-574700871.html |title=Tweed reenters politics as Killarney mayor|publisher=Brandon Sun |accessdate=2021-06-21}}</ref>
==Provincial politician (1995–2004)==
In 1995, he was elected to the Manitoba legislature as a Progressive Conservative in Turtle Mountain, a safe seat for the party. He served as a parliamentary assistant to a variety of ministers in the government of Premier Gary Filmon before being appointed Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism with responsibility for the Development Corporation Act on February 5, 1999.<ref name=living>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.mb.ca/legislature/members/mla_bio_living.html#t |title=MLA Biographies - Living |publisher=Legislative Assembly of Manitoba |accessdate=2014-07-14}}</ref>
Tweed was easily re-elected in the 1999 provincial election, although the Progressive Conservatives were defeated at the provincial level by the New Democratic Party under Gary Doer. Tweed resigned his cabinet portfolio with the rest of the Filmon ministry.<ref name=living/>
Despite the NDP's landmark election win of 2003, Tweed was again re-elected in Turtle Mountain without difficulty, receiving 3,956 votes against 1,893 for New Democrat Lonnie Patterson.
==Federal politician (2004–2013)==
When federal Conservative MP Rick Borotsik (Brandon—Souris), announced his retirement in 2004, Tweed resigned his provincial seat and won the Conservative nomination for the riding. He received 18,209 votes in the general election, against 8,522 for Liberal Murray Downing.<ref name=riding>{{cite web |url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/Parliament/FederalRidingsHistory/hfer.asp?Include=Y&Language=E&rid=62&Search=Det |title=Brandon—Souris, Manitoba (1952 - ) |work=History of Federal Ridings since 1867 |publisher=Parliament of Canada}}</ref>
Following the 2004 election, Tweed was named opposition critic for Western Economic Diversification by Conservative leader Stephen Harper. In April 2006, Tweed was elected chairperson of House of Commons of Canada's Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, a post he held until September 25, 2012 when he was elected chairperson of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-food.<ref name=parlinfo/> His resignation took effect on August 31, 2013.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tory MP Merv Tweed quits to pursue 'private sector opportunities'|url=http://www.cbc.ca/newsblogs/politics/inside-politics-blog/2013/08/tory-mp-merv-tweed-quits-to-pursue-private-sector-opportunities.html|accessdate=12 August 2013|newspaper=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=12 August 2013}}</ref> Tweed went on to work as President of OmniTRAX Canada,<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-mp-quits-takes-top-job-at-rail-company-1.1387138 cbc.ca: "Manitoba MP quits, takes top job at rail company. Tory MP second in matter of weeks to resign in Manitoba" 12 Aug 2013]</ref> which operates, amongst others, the Port of Churchill.
==Electoral record== Source:<ref name=riding/> {{2011 Canadian federal election/Brandon—Souris}} {{2008 Canadian federal election/Brandon—Souris}} {{2006 Canadian federal election/Brandon—Souris}} {{2004 Canadian federal election/Brandon—Souris}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.mervtweed.com Merv Tweed] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20061108084035/http://howdtheyvote.ca/member.php?id=291 How'd They Vote?]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tweed, Merv}} Category:1955 births Category:Brandon University alumni Category:Conservative Party of Canada MPs Category:Living people Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Manitoba Category:People from Westman Region, Manitoba Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba MLAs Category:21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba