Niagara Centre, St. Catharines MPs get new duties on Parliament Hill
Published September 20, 2023 at 1:27 pm
When Parliament resumed in Ottawa on Monday (Sept. 18) after Summer Recess, two Niagara-area MPs found themselves with new responsibilities.
St. Catharines MP Chris Bittle is now the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities while Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey was chosen as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport.
“It was an honour to be appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, assisting (Minister) Sean Fraser,” said Bittle.
“It’s a big file and I look forward to helping Canadians, as we tackle the housing crisis.”
The role of a parliamentary secretary is to assist ministers with House of Commons business and department-related duties. Parliamentary secretaries may table documents or answer questions on a minister’s behalf.
However, they are not members of Cabinet and don’t play a formal role in the decision making in Cabinet.
In making the announcement, which saw 39 MPs named as assistants to different ministries, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, “This summer, we heard from Canadians about the issues that matter most to them. From putting more money back in the pockets of families, to building more homes, faster, and helping stabilize grocery prices, we are taking real and serious action.”
“As the House returns this Monday, I know this team is ready to work hard to continue delivering real progress for Canadians.”