Jack Layton unveiled his shadow cabinet in Ottawa on Thursday placing Quebec MPs and rookies in the ranks with veteran parliamentarians.
"Today I am announcing the shadow cabinet who will lead the effort of holding the government to account day in and day out," Layton said.
The team’s mandate is to bring a new tone to parliament, achieve results for Canadians and propose policies in the House of Commons, he said.
Layton’s NDP was vaulted into second place largely by his success in Quebec, a reality reflected in his 43-member shadow cabinet. Eighteen critics are from Quebec including newcomers Nycole Turmel in public works, Hoang Mai in national revenue and Francoise Boivin in status of women.
Other newcomers joining the ranks on the front benches are B.C.’s Jasbir Sandhu becoming public safety critic and Saskatchewan’s Rathika Sitasbaiesan as natural resources critic.
"When building this shadow cabinet, I was struck by the depth and breadth of experience in our caucus as well as the boundless energy and enthusiasm of newly elected members of parliament," Layton said of his team.
Seasoned NDP MPs were placed in high-profile portfolios. Thomas Mulcair, the veteran MP from Montreal, is the leader of the opposition in the House of Commons.
Vancouver activist Libby Davies will be the health critic, while Ottawa’s Paul Dewar remains critic of Foreign Affairs. Don Davies will remain immigration critic and Joe Comartin stays justice critic.
Some familiar faces in the NDP caucus left off the list of critics were Dennis Bevington, who served as transport critic; Nathan Cullen, critic for energy and natural resources; and, Niki Ashton, who was critic for youth and post-secondary education.
Despite Layton’s persistent focus on the value of young voices, the youngest members of his caucus were not given status in his shadow cabinet. "Some very important announcements are yet to come about these individuals," said Layton. "Stay tuned for further announcements."
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