Prime Minister Stephen Harper announces changes to parliamentary secretaries

January 30, 2011

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced the appointment of two new parliamentary secretaries to assist ministers with their parliamentary duties.

Lois Brown, Member of Parliament for Newmarket-Aurora (Ontario), becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation.

Cathy McLeod, Member of Parliament for Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo (British Columbia), becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue.

Prime Minister Harper also announced that three parliamentary secretaries have received new assignments.

Shelly Glover, Member of Parliament for Saint Boniface (Manitoba), becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance.

Jacques Gourde, Member of Parliament for Lotbinière-Chutes-de-la-Chaudière (Quebec), becomes Parliamentary Secretary for Official Languages, in addition to his responsibilities as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services.

Greg Rickford, Member of Parliament for Kenora (Ontario), becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

"The economy continues to be our top priority. As our infrastructure stimulus measures in the Economic Action Plan begin to wind down, our Government is focusing on the next phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, a continuation of our low-tax plan to protect and create jobs and economic growth," concluded Prime Minister Harper.

A complete list of parliamentary secretaries can be found at www.pm.gc.ca.




Backgrounder

BIOGRAPHIES

Lois Brown
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Cooperation

Newmarket-Aurora (Ontario)

Lois Brown was first elected to the House of Commons in October 2008.

Prior to entering politics, Ms. Brown was the vice president of a disability management company she co-founded with her husband that worked with large Canadian manufacturers.  She was also a public appointee to a governing board of health care professionals from 2001 to 2003, during which time she was elected vice-chair.

Ms. Brown holds an ARCT degree from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.  She is currently completing a bachelor of arts degree with a major in economics at the University of Waterloo.  She and her husband Kelvin have two daughters. 

Shelly Glover
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Saint Boniface (Manitoba)

Shelly Glover was first elected to the House of Commons in 2008.  She was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Official Languages in November 2008.  She was named Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development in August 2010.

Prior to entering federal politics, Mrs. Glover served as a member of the Winnipeg Police Service for almost 19 years.  She had a diverse career in a variety of positions including undercover work, child abuse investigations, youth crime and gang investigations, and general patrol.  She was the first female and bilingual spokesperson appointed by her department.

A patrol sergeant presently on a leave of absence to pursue positive change in politics, Mrs. Glover is a proud Métis woman who is a very active community member with affiliations to several non-profit organizations.

An Anglophone who participated in the very first French immersion program west of Ontario, she graduated with a high level of proficiency in the French language.  Mrs. Glover is married and has raised five children with her husband Bruce, who is a retired police officer and small business owner.

Jacques Gourde
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for Official Languages

Lotbinière–Chutes-de-la-Chaudière (Quebec)

Jacques Gourde was first elected to the House of Commons in 2006 and re-elected in 2008. In October 2007, he was named Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the regions of Quebec.  He was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and to the Minister of National Revenue in November 2008.

Previously, Mr. Gourde served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources.

Mr. Gourde has a diploma in farm management and was a producer and exporter of hay in Saint-Narcisse-de-Beaurivage.  He was also president of the Saint-Narcisse Development Committee and the parish council church warden for six years.

Mr. Gourde and his wife Chantal have five children.

Cathy McLeod
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue

Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo (British Columbia)

Cathy McLeod was first elected to the House of Commons in October 2008.

Prior to entering federal politics, Ms. McLeod was mayor of Pemberton and a director for the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District.  She also worked as a registered nurse and managed a number of health care centres. 

Ms. McLeod has a master’s degree in international primary health care from the University of London.  She and her husband Gord have three children. 

Greg Rickford
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development

Kenora (Ontario)

Greg Rickford was first elected to the House of Commons in October 2008.  He was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Official Languages in August 2010.

Prior to entering politics, Mr. Rickford worked as a nurse, a health care consultant and a lawyer. He has degrees in civil and common law from McGill University, and an MBA from Laval University in Quebec City, where he learned to speak French.

Mr. Rickford is active in a number of church and community activities.