Conservative MPs Mel Arnold, Frank Caputo and Dan Albas.
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May 21, 2025 - 4:30 PM
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has named 73 MPs to fill critics roles including two from Kamloops and one from the Okanagan.
Poilievre named 48 Conservative MPs as critics, also referred to as shadow ministers, while another 14 will become associate critics.
Dan Albas represents Okanagan Lake West-South Kelowna and he’s the shadow minister for transport.
“From coast to coast to coast, Canadians are feeling the consequences of neglect in our transportation sector," Albas said in a press release.
Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies MP Mel Arnold is the associate shadow minister for fisheries and Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola MP Frank Caputo is the shadow minister for public safety. Arnold, Caputo and Albas have all held seats in Parliament before.
Newly elected British Columbia MP Ellis Ross is handling environment and climate change.
The party said in a press release that most critics will remain in their roles for the upcoming sitting of Parliament, "while newcomers learn the ropes and showcase their talents." More newly elected MPs will be given key roles in the fall and winter, the release said.
The 11-member Conservative leadership team is also staying mostly intact, with Melissa Lantsman and Tim Uppal continuing as deputy leaders and Luc Berthold as the deputy House leader.
Andrew Scheer was chosen by caucus to lead the Conservatives in the House of Commons on a temporary basis, after Poilievre failed to win a seat in the House in last month's election.
Poilievre remains the party leader but will not be able to participate in debate or challenge Prime Minister Mark Carney in question period. He is planning a return to Parliament later in the summer, though.
Alberta MP Damien Kurek has offered to resign his seat so that Poilievre can run in a byelection. That byelection is likely to happen in early August, meaning Poilievre will not be in the House of Commons for any of the spring sitting, which is slated to begin Monday and wrap up in late June.
Canadians elected 143 Conservatives in the recent election.
Mark Strahl has been named the Conservatives' special adviser for British Columbia.
The Conservative critics and leadership team outnumber the members of the Liberal cabinet, which has 29 ministers and 10 secretaries of state.
The House of Commons will open on Monday with the selection of a Speaker.
On Tuesday, King Charles will read the government's throne speech in the Senate to formally open the new session.
— With files from The Canadian Press
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