Barry McFarland was elected to his sixth term as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for Little Bow on March 3, 2008. In addition to his regular duties as an MLA Mr. McFarland currently serves as a member of the Treasury Board and the standing committees on the Economy and on Privileges and Elections, Standing Orders and Printing.

During his fifth term he was appointed Associate Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation and served as a member of the Legislative Offices Committee, the Personal Information Protection Act Review Committee and the Cabinet Policy Committee on Resources and the Environment.

Since he was first elected to the Alberta Legislature in a 1992 by-election, Mr. McFarland has served on the following:

• Standing Policy Committee on Agriculture and Municipal Affairs (chair)
• Alberta Agricultural Research Institute (chair)
• Prisoner Voting Committee (chair)
• Industrial Assessment Review Committee (chair)
• Private Bills Committee
• Special Standing Committee on Members’ Services
• Standing Policy Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
• Agricultural Lease Review Committee
• Farm Assessment and Taxation Review Committee
• Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation
• Standing Policy Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (chair)
• Legislative Review Committee
• Agenda and Priorities Committee (caucus liaison)
• Standing Committee on Public Accounts
• Standing Committee on the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund
• Premier’s Council in Support of Alberta Families (chair)

In 2007 Mr. McFarland was inducted into the Palliser school division’s Wall of Fame.

Mr. McFarland has also participated in a number of additional committees dealing with education, economic development, agriculture, irrigation and health planning.

Prior to his election as an MLA Mr. McFarland held a variety of municipal government responsibilities. He was elected to the county of Vulcan council in 1977 and until 1992 he served at various times as reeve, councillor, school trustee, chair of the Board of Education, and as both a trustee and board chair of the Little Bow auxiliary hospital. He has also been involved in a number of municipal/agricultural committees, the Municipal Planning Commission, and he was a member of the Carmangay Seed Cleaning Plant Association.

Mr. McFarland was born in Carmangay, Alberta, in 1948. He is a graduate of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) business administration program.

Mr. McFarland’s private-sector experience comes from his tenure in the retail credit area of Gulf Canada.

His involvement with various community groups over the years includes work with the Carmangay Lions Club, the Royal Canadian Legion - Barons Branch, Barons BPOE, Carmangay Curling Club and the Vulcan Atletika Track Club.

Since 1972 Mr. McFarland and his wife Mary have resided outside of Carmangay where they operate a dryland grain farm and raised their four children.

August 29, 2008