OTTAWA – Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has appointed 73 Members of Parliament (MPs) to his party's leadership team and critic roles in anticipation of the upcoming session in the House of Commons. This strategic move includes 48 Conservative MPs taking on critic roles and an additional 14 MPs serving as associate critics.
The newly announced roles predominantly feature returning MPs with some being shuffled into new positions due to the departure of those who were not re-elected on April 28. Among the notable appointments is rookie Alberta MP Billy Morin, who will serve as the critic for Indigenous services. Meanwhile, newly elected British Columbia MP Ellis Ross will take on the responsibilities concerning the environment and climate change.
The Conservative Party emphasized in a press release that the majority of critics will retain their roles for the upcoming Parliament sitting. The statement also highlighted that newcomers are encouraged to 'learn the ropes' and demonstrate their capabilities, with plans to assign more key positions to newly elected MPs in the fall and winter months.
The Conservative leadership team remains largely unchanged, with key figures such as Melissa Lantsman and Tim Uppal continuing as deputy leaders, and Luc Berthold retaining his role as deputy House leader. Notably, Andrew Scheer has been selected by the caucus to temporarily lead the Conservatives in the House of Commons following Poilievre's inability to secure a seat in the recent election.
Despite being the party leader, Poilievre will not be able to engage in debates or address Prime Minister Mark Carney during question periods due to his absence from the House. Poilievre is anticipated to return to Parliament later in the summer, with Alberta MP Damien Kurek stepping forward to offer his seat for a potential byelection that would allow Poilievre to run. This byelection is expected to occur in early August, meaning Poilievre will not be present for any sessions in the spring, which is scheduled to commence on Monday and conclude in late June.
In the recent election, Canadians voted in 143 Conservative MPs. Furthermore, Mark Strahl has been appointed as the Conservatives' special adviser for British Columbia, while Pierre Paul-Hus continues to serve as Quebec lieutenant.
The Conservative critics and leadership team are now more substantial in size than the Liberal cabinet, which comprises 29 ministers and 10 secretaries of state. Additionally, the number of Tories named to critic roles exceeds the combined members of the Bloc Québécois, New Democratic Party (NDP), and Green Party.
In his media statement, Poilievre stated that the party is leveraging the full capabilities of their Conservative caucus and highlighted that critics do not receive any taxpayer-funded salary increases for their roles. "Conservative solutions are needed now more than ever," he asserted, noting that the party has already gained traction in debates over issues such as carbon taxes, inflation, housing costs, crime, and natural resource development. This momentum was reflected in the Conservatives gaining 23 additional seats and receiving two million more votes in the recent election.
As the House of Commons prepares to open on Monday, the session will start with the selection of a Speaker. Following that, King Charles will deliver the government's throne speech in the Senate to formally inaugurate the new session.
