MP Scott Reid back in the shadow cabinet

Jeff Green | Nov 25, 2015

In June of 2005 Scott Reid, who was already the Conservative Party critic for the FedNor department, which oversees economic development in north and eastern Ontario, was given the added task of being the party critic for Democratic Institutions.

He remained in that role until the Conservative Party became the governing party in 2006. While the party was in power, Reid served as deputy house leader and as a committee chair but never sat in cabinet.

Now, under interim leader Rona Ambrose, he has again been named to the shadow cabinet as critic for the department of Democratic Institutions, a role that fits with his political and academic background. During the recent campaign, he once again expressed his interest in reforming how politics is done in Canada, whether through more free votes in Parliament, citizen referenda, or changes to the electoral system.

Reid has long advocated for a “ranked ballot system” to choose officials such as party leaders and speakers of the house, and in general elections as well.

With the new Liberal government having made the commitment to come up with an alternate electoral system in time for the next election, Reid may be in a position to influence that process as critic for this department.

When the matter was last considered in 2005, he advocated for a citizens' forum to come up with a system, rather than a Parliamentary committee. He has also done work on open democracy and the functioning of Parliament for 25 years, having started his career as a constitutional advisor to Reform Party leader, Preston Manning, in the 1990s.

The new Minister for Democratic Institutions is Liberal Maryam Monsef, who represents the riding of Peterborough. She is the first Afghani-born member of the Canadian Parliament, having emigrated to Peterborough in 1996, when she was 11. She is a graduate of Trent University and ran for mayor of Peterborough last year.

In her mandate letter from Prime Minster Trudeau, Monsef was given the explicit responsibility to oversee changes to the way senators are elected, and to lead the process of electoral reform, among a long list of other duties.

She was also tasked with maintaining: “close collaboration with your colleagues; meaningful engagement with Opposition Members of Parliament, Parliamentary Committees and the public service.”