The Member of Parliament (MP) for Argenteuil-La Petite-Nation is the new Parliamentary Secretary to the minister responsible for a new federal department.
On September 19, MP Stéphane Lauzon was named by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the Parliamentary Secretary to Citizen’s Services Minister Terry Beech.
The new department was created and Beech named as its minister by Trudeau when a significant cabinet shuffle was made on July 24. As of September 20, the department does not yet have a website. A July 27 CBC story explained Citizen’s Services will have a mandate to provide direct services to Canadians from all areas of government and could include issuing passports and various social programs.
“The new Department of Citizens’ Services will focus on everything that directly affects Canadians. This includes, among other things, passports, but also applications for dental care benefits and employment insurance,” read a statement issued by Lauzon’s office.
A Parliamentary Secretary usually acts as a substitute for the Minister whenever they are unavailable. Parliamentary Secretaries often make statements or respond to questions in the House of Commons if the Minister is absent.
“I look forward to getting to work modernizing government services so that Canadians and newcomers receive services when and where they need them,” commented Lauzon in a press release.
Lauzon previously served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Rural Economic Development, as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Seniors, as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, and as Parliamentary Secretary for Sport and Persons with Disabilities.
Lauzon has served as the MP for Argenteuil-La Petite-Nation since 2015. Beech is also the MP for the constituency of Burnaby-North Seymour in British Columbia.
