insights
September 18, 2023
Prime Minister Announces Changes to Parliamentary Secretaries
On Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the new complement of Parliamentary Secretaries. Parliamentary Secretaries are chosen by the Prime Minister to work with Ministers. Their responsibilities vary but generally fall into two categories: House of Commons business and department-related duties.
While they are not members of the Cabinet and do not play a formal role in Cabinet decision-making, they often cover a selection of policy files and departmental programs for their Ministers. They can also act as an essential liaison and sounding board for stakeholders.
With both new and returning members, the Parliamentary Secretary team now includes:
Returning with no change
- Julie Dabrusin as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
- Mike Kelloway as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
- Francis Drouin as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
- Kevin Lamoureux as Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
- Rob Oliphant as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Terry Sheehan as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and Seniors
- Irek Kusmierczyk as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages
- Élisabeth Brière as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
Newly named Parliamentary Secretaries
- Jenica Atwin as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services
- Lisa Hepfner as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth
- Peter Fragiskatos as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
- Iqra Khalid as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue
- Taleeb Noormohamed as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage
- Sameer Zuberi as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities
- James Maloney as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
- Charles Sousa as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement
- Ryan Turnbull as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
- Randeep Sarai as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
Current Parliamentary Secretaries with changed portfolios
- Vance Badawey as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport
- Jaime Battiste as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
- Rachel Bendayan as Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
- Chris Bittle as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
- Paul Chiang as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
- Pam Damoff as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Consular Affairs)
- Terry Duguid as Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Special Advisor for Water
- Greg Fergus as Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health
- Darren Fisher as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health
- Yvonne Jones as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence (Northern Defence)
- Annie Koutrakis as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
- Marie-France Lalonde as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence
- Stéphane Lauzon as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizens’ Services
- Bryan May as Parliamentary Secretary to theMinister of Small Business and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
- Jennifer O’Connell as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs (Cybersecurity)
- Sherry Romanado as Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness
- Darrell Samson as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
- Marc G. Serré as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Official Languages
- Maninder Sidhu as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development
- Anita Vandenbeld as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development
- Adam van Koeverden as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity