Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has introduced his newly assembled shadow cabinet. Jasraj Singh Hallan takes on the key portfolio of finance and middle-class prosperity, while Gérard Deltell will lead the environment and climate change file. Melissa Lantsman and Tim Uppal are the deputy party leaders.
Jasraj Singh Hallan
Gérard Deltell
Melissa Lantsman
Tim Uppal
Images © HOC-CDC, Bernard Thibodeau and Mélanie Provencher, House of Commons Photo Services
On Wednesday, newly-elected Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre unveiled his new shadow cabinet of critics tasked with holding the Trudeau government to account. The new shadow cabinet includes 51 critics, and another 20 associate critics, an increase from the 46 critics named by previous leader Erin O’Toole.
Leading the new front bench for Poilievre’s team is Jasraj Singh Hallan, who takes over the portfolio of finance and middle class prosperity from Poilievre ally Dan Albas. Hallan was first elected in the riding of Calgary Forest Lawn in 2019. He previously held the role of immigration, refugees and citizenship critic under O’Toole and Interim-Leader Candace Bergen. He will now take on Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland in the finance portfolio as rising inflation continues to generate headlines across the country. His humble upbringing as a newcomer to Canada will almost certainly provide a strong counter-narrative to the urban elites in Trudeau’s cabinet. Hallan’s story is featured in a profile by Brian Lilley in the Toronto Sun.
Louis-Saint-Laurent MP Gérard Deltell has been tasked with leading the environment and climate change file and taking on high-profile Quebec MP and Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault. British Columbia MP Mark Strahl replaces Melissa Lantsman as transport critic, after Lantsman was promoted to the role of deputy leader.
Nova Scotia MP and physician Stephen Ellis retains the job of health critic for Poilievre, while former cabinet minister and Ontario MP Michael Chong remains in the role as critic for foreign affairs. Alberta MP Garnett Genuis also stays in the role of international development critic, Saskatchewan MP Shannon Stubbs remains critic for natural resources, Manitoba MP James Bezan returns as defence critic and Ontario MP Michael Barret remains ethics critic.
Notably, Poilievre’s leadership opponents within caucus have also secured roles in the new shadow cabinet. Rick Perkins, MP for South Shore—St. Margarets, had chaired the Jean Charest’s leadership campaign, but will take on the key role of innovation, science and industry critic. This is a significant promotion from his previous role as critic for fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, and he is likely to be featured prominently as a key critic of a large government portfolio. Newfoundland and Labrador MP Clifford Small takes over the fisheries, oceans and Canadian Coast Guard portfolio. Scott Aitchison becomes critic for housing and diversity and inclusion, while outspoken Haldimand—Norfolk MP Leslyn Lewis steps into the role of infrastructure and communities critic.
High-profile MPs left out of the shadow cabinet include Michelle Rempel Garner, who had endorsed Patrick Brown’s bid for the leadership before distancing herself from his team, and Ed Fast, who resigned from the shadow cabinet earlier in the leadership campaign in protest of Poilievre’s criticism of Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem. Former leader Erin O’Toole had said he would not put his name forward for a role in the new shadow cabinet.
New Brunswick Southwest MP John Williamson, seen by many as a rising star in the Conservative caucus, is Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and is likely to share a focus on government spending with Treasury Board critic Stephanie Kusie.
All told, Poilievre’s shadow cabinet is relatively balanced across the regions, with 18 critics from Ontario and 13 from Alberta. The Atlantic region contributes five critics, while British Columbia, Manitoba and Quebec each get three spots.
With the new faces in a number of roles, it is expected the Conservatives will make a number of changes to their memberships in House committees, to correspond with the new critic roles in the coming weeks.
The Conservative Shadow Cabinet
- Shadow Minister for Digital Government – Ben Lobb
- Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Agri-Food and Food Security – John Barlow
- Shadow Minister for Canadian Heritage – Rachel Thomas
- Shadow Minister for Crown-Indigenous Relations – Jamie Schmale
- Shadow Minister for Finance and Middle Class Prosperity – Jasraj Singh Hallan
- Shadow Minister for Employment, Future Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion – Tracy Gray
- Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change – Gérard Deltell
- Shadow Minister for Families, Children and Social Development – Michelle Ferreri
- Shadow Minister for Federal Economic Development Agency for Eastern, Central and Southern Ontario – Lianne Rood
- Shadow Minister for Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard – Clifford Small
- Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs – Hon. Michael Chong
- Shadow Minister for Health – Dr. Stephen Ellis
- Shadow Minister for Housing and Diversity and Inclusion – Scott Aitchison
- Shadow Minister for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship – Tom Kmiec
- Shadow Minister for Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario – Eric Melillo
- Shadow Minister for Innovation, Science and Industry – Rick Perkins
- Shadow Minister for International Development – Garnett Genuis
- Shadow Minister for International Trade – Kyle Seeback
- Shadow Minister for Small Business Recovery and Growth – Brad Vis
- Shadow Minister for Supply Chain Issues – Matt Jeneroux
- Shadow Minister for Red Tape Reduction – Scot Davidson
- Shadow Minister for Justice and Attorney General of Canada – Hon. Rob Moore
- Shadow Minister for Civil Liberties – Marilyn Gladu
- Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention – Todd Doherty
- Shadow Minister for Addictions – Laila Goodridge
- Shadow Minister for Northern Affairs and Arctic Sovereignty; Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency – Bob Zimmer
- Shadow Minister for Prairie Economic Development (Advisor to the Leader, Economy) – Pat Kelly
- Shadow Minister for Pacific Economic Development – Tako van Popta
- Shadow Minister for Sport; Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec – Richard Martel
- Shadow Minister for National Defence – James Bezan
- Shadow Minister for National Revenue – Adam Chambers
- Shadow Minister for Natural Resources – Shannon Stubbs
- Shadow Minister for Official Languages – Joël Godin
- Shadow Minister for Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency – Jake Stewart
- Shadow Minister for Public Safety – Raquel Dancho
- Shadow Minister for Public Services and Procurement – Kelly Block
- Shadow Minister for Emergency Preparedness – Dane Lloyd
- Shadow Minister for Rural Economic Development & Connectivity – Dan Mazier
- Shadow Minister for Seniors – Anna Roberts
- Shadow Minister for Tourism – Tony Baldinelli
- Shadow Minister for Transport – Mark Strahl
- Shadow Minister for Treasury Board – Stephanie Kusie
- Shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs – Blake Richards
- Shadow Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth – Karen Vecchio
- Shadow Minister for Ethics and Accountable Government – Michael Barrett
- Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Communities – Dr. Leslyn Lewis
- Shadow Minister for Labour – Chris Lewis
- Shadow Minister for Indigenous Services – Gary Vidal
- Shadow Minister for Pan-Canadian Trade and Competition – Ryan Williams
- Shadow Minister for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation – Blaine Calkins
- Shadow Minister for Democratic Reform – Michael Cooper
Associate Shadow Cabinet
- Associate Shadow Minister for Finance and Middle Class Prosperity (Tax Reform) – Phil Lawrence
- Associate Shadow Minister for Finance and Middle Class Prosperity (Affordable Government) – Marty Morantz
- Associate Shadow Minister for Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard (Recreational and West Coast) – Mel Arnold
- Associate Shadow Minister for National Defence (Recruitment and Retention) – Shelby Kramp-Neuman
- Associate Shadow Minister for Natural Resources (Nuclear) – Corey Tochor
- Associate Shadow Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth – Dominique Vien
- Associate Shadow Minister for Agriculture – Richard Lehoux
- Associate Shadow Minister for Agriculture – Warren Steinley
- Associate Shadow Minister for Canadian Heritage – Kevin Waugh
- Associate Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change – Robert Kitchen
- Associate Shadow Minister for Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship – Brad Redekopp
- Associate Shadow Minister for Indigenous Services – Larry Brock
- Associate Shadow Minister for Labour – Rosemarie Falk
- Associate Shadow Minister for Ethics and Accountable Government – Jacques Gourde
- Associate Shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs – Fraser Tolmie
- Associate Shadow Minister for Transport – Dan Muys
- Associate Shadow Minister for Public Safety – Doug Shipley
- Associate Shadow Minister for Official Languages – Bernard Généreux
- Associate Shadow Minister for International Trade (Advisor to the Leader, Canada/US Relations) – Randy Hoback
- Associate Shadow Minister for Justice and Attorney General – Frank Caputo
