Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Frank Caputo in the House of Commons. (Photo via House of Commons)
The MP for Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo is going to be taking on a new role within the Conservative Party of Canada.
Frank Caputo has been shifted out from his role as the critic for Veterans Affairs.
He’s now the Associate Shadow Minister for Justice and the Attorney General under east coast MP Rob Moore.
The former crown prosecutor, who supported Jean Charest in this year’s Conservative leadership race, says he wasn’t blind-sided by the changes announced Wednesday morning.
“Shortly after Pierre Poilievre became leader, he and I met within two or three days,” said Caputo. “We talked about all sorts of things, including my interests. One of those interests was Justice and the Attorney General.”
Caputo’s shift is part of a broader re-tooling of the Conservative caucus in Parliament, which also sees Fraser Canyon MP (Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon) Brad Vis take over as the lead critic for Small Business Recovery and Growth.
Shuswap-area (North Okanagan-Shuswap) MP Mel Arnold is now an Associate critic for Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard (Recreational and West Coast).
Logan Lake-area MP Dan Albas (Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola) does not have a critic’s role in the shakeup, with reports suggesting he asked to be held-out of a shadow cabinet position due to a family matter.
Conservative Party announcement of new shadow cabinet, October 12th, 2022/via Conservative Party of Canada
Poilievre has welcomed in two former leadership rivals to serve as critics in Parliament, while leaving out two prominent caucus members who backed rival candidates.
Ontario MPs Scott Aitchison and Leslyn Lewis are among the group of 71 Tory MPs out of the total 118 caucus members whose critic or associate critic roles will see them go head-to-head with Liberal government ministers on a range of files.
Aitchison has been tapped to take on the housing file, while Lewis will be the party’s infrastructure critic.
Alberta MP Jasraj Singh Hallan takes over as the party’s finance critic, the role Poilievre held before he became leader in September.
Those who didn’t make the cut include longtime Abbotsford MP Ed Fast, who backed Jean Charest in the leadership contest, and Alberta MP Michelle Rempel Garner, who supported Patrick Brown before his disqualification.
Former leader Erin O’Toole, who is still sitting as an Ontario MP, has not been given a critic role.
–With files from the Canadian Press
