Poilievre unveils critics list, pits Alberta MP Jasraj Singh Hallan against Chrystia Freeland
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has released his list of parliamentary critics. He's chosen Alberta Conservative MP Jasraj Singh Hallan as the party's new finance critic, pitting him against Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Poilievre has appointed 51 critics and another 20 associate critics. But the list leaves out some very high-profile Conservatives, such as MP Ed Fast — who supported former Quebec premier Jean Charest for the leadership — and Michelle Rempel Garner, who served as leadership campaign co-chair for Patrick Brown.
Former Conservative leader Erin O'Toole told the National Post last month that he did not want a critic role because he did not want to be a distraction to the team. He was left off the list.
Poilievre named Quebec Conservative MP Gérard Deltell as the party's environment critic. Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault is also from Quebec.
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities Dominic LeBlanc will face off against Ontario MP, former leadership candidate and prominent social conservative Leslyn Lewis, who becomes the new infrastructure and communities critic.
Rob Moore, MP for the New Brunswick riding of Fundy Royal, has been named the new justice critic, pitting him against Justice Minister and Attorney General David Lametti. Defence Minister Anita Anand will do battle with new defence critic MP James Bezan.
Poilievre, who pledged during his leadership campaign to end vaccine mandates, has created a new position of civil liberties critic for Ontario MP Marilyn Gladu.
Last year, Gladu led the formation of a "civil liberties caucus" of Conservative MPs that took on concerns about vaccination and opposed mandates.
Gladu told CBC News that her new role, which does not have a corresponding cabinet position, was Poilievre's idea.
"This is an expression that he's going to be vigilant about protecting people's freedom," she said, noting her new role also includes looking at issues like digital privacy and censorship.
The complete Conservative critic list
Digital Government — Ben Lobb
Agriculture, Agri-Food and Food Security — John Barlow
Canadian Heritage — Rachael Thomas
Crown-Indigenous Relations — Jamie Schmale
Finance and Middle Class Prosperity — Jasraj Singh Hallan
Employment, Future Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion — Tracy Gray
Environment and Climate Change — Gérard Deltell
Families, Children and Social Development — Michelle Ferreri
Federal Economic Development Agency for Eastern, Central and Southern Ontario — Lianne Rood
Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard — Clifford Small
Foreign Affairs — Michael Chong
Health — Stephen Ellis
Housing and Diversity and Inclusion — Scott Aitchison
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship — Tom Kmiec
Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (Associate, Crown-Indigenous Relations) — Eric Melillo
Innovation, Science and Industry — Rick Perkins
International Development — Garnett Genuis
International Trade — Kyle Seeback
Small Business Recovery and Growth — Brad Vis
Supply Chain Issues — Matt Jeneroux
Red Tape Reduction — Scot Davidson
Justice and Attorney General of Canada — Rob Moore
Civil Liberties — Marilyn Gladu
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention — Todd Doherty
Addictions — Laila Goodridge
Northern Affairs and Arctic Sovereignty; Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency — Bob Zimmer
Prairie Economic Development (Advisor to the Leader, Economy) — Pat Kelly
Pacific Economic Development — Tako van Popta
Sport; Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec — Richard Martel
National Defence — James Bezan
National Revenue — Adam Chambers
Natural Resources — Shannon Stubbs
Official Languages — Joel Godin
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency — Jake Stewart
Public Safety — Raquel Dancho
Public Services and Procurement — Kelly Block
Emergency Preparedness — Dane Lloyd
Rural Economic Development & Connectivity — Dan Mazier
Seniors — Anna Roberts
Tourism — Tony Baldinelli
Transport —Mark Strahl
Treasury Board — Stephanie Kusie
Veterans Affairs — Blake Richards
Women and Gender Equality and Youth — Karen Vecchio
Ethics and Accountable Government — Michael Barrett
Infrastructure and Communities — Leslyn Lewis
Labour — Chris Lewis
Indigenous Services — Gary Vidal
Pan-Canadian Trade and Competition — Ryan Williams
Hunting, Fishing and Conservation —Blaine Calkins
Democratic Reform — Michael Cooper
Associate critics
Associate Finance and Middle Class Prosperity (Tax Reform) — Philip Lawrence
Associate Finance and Middle Class Prosperity (Affordable Government) — Marty Morantz
Associate Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard (Recreational and West Coast) — Mel Arnold
Associate National Defence (Recruitment and Retention) — Shelby Kramp-Neuman
Associate Natural Resources (Nuclear) — Corey Tochor
Associate Women and Gender Equality and Youth — Dominique Vien
Associate Agriculture — Richard Lehoux
Associate Agriculture —Warren Steinley
Associate Canadian Heritage — Kevin Waugh
Associate Environment and Climate Change — Robert Kitchen
Associate Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship —Brad Redekopp
Associate Indigenous Services — Larry Brock
Associate Labour — Rosemarie Falk
Associate Ethics and Accountable Government — Jacques Gourde
Associate Veterans Affairs — Fraser Tolmie
Associate Transport — Dan Muys
Associate Public Safety — Doug Shipley
Associate Official Languages — Bernard Généreux
Associate International Trade (Adviser to the Leader, Canada/U.S. Relations) — Randy Hoback
Associate Justice and Attorney General — Frank Caputo
Chair, Public Accounts — John Williamson
Chair, Government Operations and Estimates — Kelly McCauley
Chair, Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics — John Brassard
House leadership team
Last month, Poilievre unveiled his Commons leadership team — a nine-member group that includes two LGBT MPs and one of the few persons of colour in the Conservative caucus.
Ontario MP Melissa Lantsman, a lesbian, and Alberta MP Tim Uppal, who is South Asian, now serve as Poilievre's deputy leaders. Both supported him in the leadership race.
Since her election last year, Lantsman, a former political staffer, lobbyist and CBC commentator, has been a fierce critic of the government's handling of the COVID-19 file.
Uppal, who represents Edmonton in the Commons, served as minister of state for democratic reform and later as minister of state for multiculturalism in former prime minister Stephen Harper's government.
Former Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, who was also a strong supporter of Poilievre during the leadership contest, was named opposition House leader.
