ATHABASCA – With a new leader taking over the reins of the Conservative Party of Canada last month, a new shadow cabinet has also been announced and Lakeland MP Shannon Stubbs will be taking on a familiar file for the King’s Official Opposition.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre announced those MPs who will fill specific roles in his shadow cabinet which includes Stubbs being re-appointed as Shadow Minister of Natural Resources, a job she had under former leader Andrew Scheer before she was reassigned to the Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness file by his successor Erin O’Toole.
Before that, Stubbs was also appointed by former interim leader Rona Ambrose to serve as deputy critic for natural resources and she sat on the House’s Standing Committee on Natural Resources between January 2016 until September 2019, and was vice-chair from September 2017.
“I have served in this role previously, and of course am keenly aware how important the natural resources sector, along with agriculture, is to the people and communities across Lakeland and Alberta. I will continue to champion and bust myths about the world class work of the employees, suppliers, and producers in responsible oil and gas development across the province,” Stubbs said in a media release following the announcement.
Stubbs said she will advocate to bring down costs for “traditional and new energy options” by prioritizing Canadian resources, reducing red tape, increasing project approvals and building the infrastructure needed to support the energy industry, which she says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has not done.
“Conservatives will put Canadian natural resources first, and bring money, jobs, and businesses home,” she said.
“The growth and export of Canadian oil and gas puts money into clean tech and green innovation, but the Liberals actually push global pollution up, and businesses out, leaving Canada without self-sufficiency, and unable to support European allies who are in desperate need of more energy.
“The natural resources sector can sustain hundreds of thousands of jobs, contribute billions towards the Canadian economy and all three levels of government, and drives the majority of private sector investment in clean and alternative technologies, but the federal government must get out of the way.”
She also noted the Alberta Court of Appeal May 2022 ruling that Bill C-69, known by opponents as the ‘No More Pipelines’ bill, is unconstitutional, and is going to the Supreme Court of Canada.
“Thank you to our new Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, for your trust and the opportunity to serve as Shadow Minister for Natural Resources. The diverse and multi-faceted natural resources sector is a core pillar of the Canadian economy, and I look forward to continuing to champion the workers and communities who are its lifeblood,” Stubbs said. “Canada's wealth of energy, mineral, and forestry development and expertise is central to our country's future and bestows Canada a unique role in the world on energy security as an environmentally responsible, democratic, and transparent producer.”
