(Ottawa) The MP for Mount Royal, Anthony Housefather, became parliamentary secretary again on Tuesday, four months after being stripped of this function by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
At the time, Mr. Trudeau’s office did not reveal why Mr. Housefather had been demoted to a simple MP, but the fact that he was the only elected official, from all parties, to vote against the government bill who modernized the Official Languages Act had not gone unnoticed.
The MP, who represents an English-speaking riding on the island of Montreal, had previously fought fiercely in the standing committee on official languages and in every forum available to him to weaken the proposed reform. He objected to the Charter of the French Language of Quebec being mentioned in federal law.
Several other Liberal elected officials had expressed reservations about the bill, including ministers Marc Miller and David Lametti, but all fell in line or abstained when it came time to vote.
Mr. Trudeau’s office had not responded to a request for comment from The Canadian Press at the time of publication.
With Tuesday’s announcement, Mr. Housefather becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board, Anita Anand.
Her appointment was announced jointly with those of Sherbrooke MP Élisabeth Brière, Ottawa Centre, Yasir Naqvi, who will also serve as parliamentary secretary, and Ottawa–Vanier MP and former minister, Mona Fortier, who becomes whip government assistant.
“I know this team is ready to work hard for Canadians and deliver on their priorities,” the Prime Minister wrote in a press release.
Parliamentary secretaries are MPs who are members of the party that forms the government. Their task is to assist a minister, particularly in the House of Commons. They are not part of the council of ministers and have no official role in the decision-making process.
Secretaries receive a bonus of $18,800 per year which is added to their MP salary of $194,600.