Montreal MP Anthony Housefather becomes parliamentary secretary again
Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather was reinstated as parliamentary secretary on Tuesday, four months after being stripped of the position by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
At the time, Trudeau's office did not reveal why Housefather had been demoted to backbench MP, but the fact that he was the only elected member of any party to vote against the government bill modernizing the Official Languages Act did not go unnoticed.
The MP, who represents an English-speaking constituency on the island of Montreal, had previously fought hard at the Standing Committee on Official Languages and in every forum open to him to weaken the proposed reform.
He objected to Quebec's Charter of the French Language being mentioned in the federal law.
Several other Liberal MPs had expressed reservations about the bill, including ministers Marc Miller and David Lametti, but they all fell into line or abstained from voting.
Questioned on his arrival at Question Period, Housefather said he did not know what had motivated the decisions to take away his role as parliamentary secretary and then give it back to him.
"I wasn't the one who decided to step down or turn over," he said. "Those are questions for someone else."
Housefather pointed to the Prime Minister's Office.
The Prime Minister's Office did not respond to a request for comment from The Canadian Press.
With Tuesday's announcement, Housefather becomes parliamentary secretary to Treasury Board President Anita Anand.
His appointment was announced jointly with those of the MPs for Sherbrooke, Élisabeth Brière, and Ottawa Centre, Yasir Naqvi, who will also take on the duties of parliamentary secretary, and the MP for Ottawa --Vanier and former minister, Mona Fortier, who becomes deputy government whip.
"I know that this team is ready to work hard for Canadians and to act on their priorities," wrote the prime minister in a press release.
Parliamentary secretaries are MPs who are members of the party that forms the government. Their job is to assist a minister, particularly in the House of Commons. They are not part of the cabinet and have no official role in the decision-making process.
Secretaries receive a bonus of $18,800 a year in addition to their MP salary of $194,600.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 30, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
BREAKING London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.