John Barlow, Member of Parliament for Foothills, Alberta, is back as Agriculture and Agri-Food critic in Erin O’Toole’s shadow cabinet. The Leader of the Official Opposition also added food security to Barlow’s purview.
Barlow had served in the role under previous Conservative leader, Andrew Scheer.
Ontario MP Lianne Rood, who previously held the critic role for AAFC, now moves to shadow the Ministry of Rural Economic Development & Rural Broadband Strategy.
Also of note in the shadow cabinet is the naming of Luc Berthold, MP for Mégantic—L’Érable, Quebec, as shadow minister for health. As an MP well versed in agriculture, Berthold should be up to speed on the issues that the CFIA and PMRA have on the docket, including a review on maximum residue limits of crop protection products, including glyphosate.
Set to square up against the environment minster, Steven Guilbeault, is Dan Albas, serving B.C.’s Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola riding.
Michelle Rempel Garner has been named as critic to Minister for Natural Resources, Jonathan Wilkinson, and Saskatchewan’s Randy Hoback will sit as shadow minister to International Trade and Supply Chain Resilience.
Manitoba MP Candice Bergen will sit as deputy leader.
The next parliament begins November 22, 2021.