Poilievre names 48 Conservative MPs as critics, announces House leadership team

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has named 73 MPs to his party's leadership team and critic roles ahead of next week's return to the House of Commons.

He has named 48 Conservative members of Parliament to critic roles, while another 14 will become associate critics.

Most of them are returning MPs, though some have been shuffled to new positions left by people who were not re-elected on April 28. 

Rookie Alberta MP Billy Morin, the former chief of Enoch Cree Nation, takes over as critic for Indigenous services, while 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. Pierre Paul-Hus remains Quebec lieutenant.

The Conservative critics and leadership team outnumber the members of the Liberal cabinet, which has 29 ministers and 10 secretaries of state.

The group of Tories named to critic roles also outnumber the combined caucuses of the Bloc Québécois, NDP and Green Party.

In a press release, Poilievre says the party is drawing on "the full depth of our Conservative caucus" because the critics don't get any taxpayer-funded pay increases for their roles.

"Conservative solutions are needed now more than ever," Poilievre said in the media statement.

"We have already won the debates on carbon taxes, inflation, housing costs, crime, natural resource development, and more. That is why Canadians gave us 23 more seats and two million more votes."

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.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby