The Prime Minister Appoints New Parliamentary Secretaries
The Prime Minister announced yesterday the new team of parliamentary secretaries. Parliamentary secretaries are chosen by the Prime Minister to assist ministers in advancing government legislation and key initiatives. The responsibilities of parliamentary secretaries generally fall into the categories of House of Commons business (ex. attending Question Period) and department-related duties.
While parliamentary secretaries support their ministers, they are not members of Cabinet and do not play a formal role in the Cabinet decision-making process.
Parliamentary secretaries can play an important role in engaging Canadians in the policy process on behalf of the minister. For example, they may be asked to represent the minister at public events, deliver speeches on behalf of the minister, or act as a general spokesperson for the Government’s position.
The parliamentary secretaries are as follows:
Omar Alghabra is Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister (Public Service Renewal), Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, and will be sworn in as a Privy Councillor
Will Amos is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry (Science)
Gary Anandasangaree is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
Terry Beech is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
Rachel Bendayan is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade
Chris Bittle is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
Julie Dabrusin is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage
Pam Damoff is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services
Ali Ehsassi is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry (Innovation and Industry)
Neil Ellis is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Greg Fergus is Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Digital Government
Andy Fillmore is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
Darren Fisher is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health
Sean Fraser is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity, and Associate Minister of Finance
Anthony Housefather is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour
Gudie Hutchings is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development
Yvonne Jones is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern Affairs
Kamal Khera is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development
Irek Kusmierczyk is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion
Kevin Lamoureux is Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Stéphane Lauzon is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Seniors
Paul Lefebvre is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources
Joël Lightbound is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Steven MacKinnon is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement
Soraya Martinez Ferrada is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Rob Oliphant is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Darrell Samson is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
Peter Schiefke is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Francesco Sorbara is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue
Adam van Koeverden is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage (Sport)
Anita Vandenbeld is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence
Adam Vaughan is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development (Housing)
Arif Virani is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
The parliamentary secretaries responsible for assisting the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages are as follows:
René Arseneault is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Official Languages)
Larry Bagnell is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency)
Élisabeth Brière is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)
Terry Duguid is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (Western Economic Diversification Canada) and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change (Canada Water Agency)
Terry Sheehan is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (FedNor)
Kate Young is Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (FedDev Ontario)
For the full list please click here. For more information about the role of Parliamentary Secretaries please click here.