The Member of Parliament for Chatham-Kent-Leamington has been appointed to the Shadow Cabinet of Canada’s Official Opposition.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has named MP Dave Epp as Canada’s Official Opposition Shadow Minister for Rural Development, as part of the party’s renewed Shadow Cabinet shakeup on Tuesday.
“When rural Canada succeeds, all of Canada succeeds. Canadian farms feed the world,” said Epp in a news release. “Our natural resource sectors drive economic growth. We need to add more value to the agricultural and natural resources here in Canada – and often the businesses that add that value are located in our municipalities, businesses, and local organizations which strengthen communities from coast to coast to coast.”
As Shadow Minister, Epp said he intends to advocate for Canadian families in rural, northern, and resource-based communities, focusing on infrastructure, agriculture and agri-food, environmental conservation, and economic development, among other issues impacting rural life.
Epp was first elected to the riding in 2019, and he previously served as Deputy Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Agri-Food and Food Security from 2021 to 2022.
The MP for nearby Middlesex—London, Lianne Rood, was also appointed Question Period Coordinator, and Windsor West MP Harb Gill was named Shadow Minister for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Eastern, Central and Southern Ontario.