On Tuesday, June 30, federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre announced that Members of Parliament (MP) in his 140-member caucus had been assigned new roles as opposition critics, and Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry MP Eric Duncan was assigned the role of Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs.
The Conservatives like to use the British term shadow cabinet and shadow minister for the group of MP’s who take on the role of scrutinizing a particular government department or program. In this case, Duncan will be scrutinizing and questioning the Liberal government and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand in the House of Commons about their policies and decisions.
“The world is more complex than ever before,” Duncan said. He referred to the uncertain future of the CUSMA trade agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico, and the federal government’s emphasis with increased trade with China as two main issues.
“That poses a lot of questions and a lot of risks,” Duncan said.
He specifically mentioned Chinese-made electric vehicles being imported into Canada and a law-enforcement memorandum of understanding with Chinese authorities as items of concern.
When asked how the Conservatives can possibly chart a different plan on foreign affairs than the Liberals without being seen as too closely allied with the current US administration, Duncan suggested Canada should rely more on its inner potential and how it may benefit relations with the US. He specifically named oil and gas as key commodities.
“We need to get rid of anti-development laws in our country,” Duncan said.
Duncan was elected to the House of Commons in 2019, re-elected in 2021, and again in 2025 when the riding boundaries were changed to include North Glengarry.
