(File photo/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Federal Poltics

Hoback named to Scheer’s shadow cabinet

Nov 29, 2019 | 5:00 PM

Randy Hoback has been given more responsibility, and he seems perfectly okay with it.

The Member of Parliament (M.P.) for the Prince Albert riding has been named to Andrew Scheer’s shadow cabinet, and has been given the file for international trade.

“Trade is something that is so important to our province, and to the riding, and it’s something I feel I can really sink my teeth into and know quite a bit about,” Hoback said.

As a Parliamentarian, Hoback has served as the Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade. He has also represented the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association at the World Trade Organization meetings in Geneva and Hong Kong.

The job of the shadow cabinet is to largely scrutinize the policies and actions of the government, as well as to offer an alternative program. Hoback said a status report on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement was among his top priorities, as well as increasing market access for farmers.

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“And then we still have forestry products that are tariffed going into the United States.The softwood lumber agreement that was once there is no longer there and we are seeing forestry workers lose their jobs across Canada,” he said.

The shadow cabinet’s first meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday and Hoback has been busy this past week travelling to all corners of the riding gathering information, and assembling an updated list of priorities to bring back to Ottawa.

“I’m trying to make sure that everything lines up in the riding so as we see different government programs come in for a variety of things that we are ready to apply for them and do what we can to get that money into the riding,” he said.

Kelly Block, the M.P. for Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, and Gary Vidal, the M.P. for Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River have also been given shadow cabinet responsibilities. Block was asked to look after Public Services and Procurement, and Vidal has been assigned to Indigenous Services.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell