Interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose taps women for top shadow cabinet jobs

Interim Conservative LeaderRona Ambrose is stacking her shadow cabinet with a healthy dose of seasoned veterans and a smattering of new faces as the party positions itself as Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition for the first time in a decade.

"I believethe team we have assembled willbethe strongest Official Opposition this country has ever seen," Ambrose said in a statement, noting the party's first priority is challenging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's "massive tax-and-spend plan."

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The party, which was reduced to99 seats in the House of Commons after the Oct. 19 vote, will have 32 shadow cabinet ministers to challenge Trudeau'sministersand their ambitious change agenda.

"I am proud to lead this team of talented and respected individuals from across Canada. Together, we will ask the government tough questions and hold them to account," Ambrose said.

Harper loyalists on the margins

The full list, released Friday, includes a few surprises chief amongst them isJason Kenney's absence from the front bench. Kenney, who was widely seen as StephenHarper's most competent minister,will not hold a critic portfolioin thenext session of Parliament.

As a result, hewill not take the lead on any particular file during question period. Instead, he will chair the shadow cabinet committee on strategic operations, a key caucus committeethat will advise the leader and other criticson question period strategy, policyandcommunications.

A sourceclose to Kenney told CBC Newsthat he specifically asked Ambrose not to give him a critic role in the shadow cabinet. A move some political observers saywill free up Kenney's time to run for the party's permanent leadership.

Diane Finley, who was a staple of Harper's cabinet during his tenure in government, has been relegated to a relatively minor role: deputy critic for science, innovation and economic development, reporting to Quebec MPMaxime Bernier,who will take the lead on that criticalfile. She will also serve as the caucusparty liaison.

And Peter Van Loan,the former government House leader, has beenpassed over for that role in opposition by the outgoingSpeaker of the House, Andrew Scheer.

Other veterans, however,will step into prominent roles. Former justice minister Rob Nicholson will be the critic for that portfolio and Ontario MPKellieLeitch, who is also a physician, will be the health critic.

Tony Clement, who has virtually no international experience, having served as minister of health and president of the Treasury Board under Harper,will be the critic for foreign affairs.

New female face of conservatism

But Ambrose has also tapped some of the party's best communicators to handle thehottest files.

Lisa Raittwill slide into thefinance portfolio, a clear demonstration that female MPs will be at the forefront of rebuilding the Conservative Party after its defeat.

The Milton MP managed to survive the Liberal wavethat swept over much of the Greater Toronto Area in the last election. She also emerged as an early critic of the government'sperformance and tone underHarper after the electoral defeat.Her deft communications skillsand ease with the mediawill be pertinent insuch a high-profile portfolio.

Raitthas already said apriority for the party is broadening itsappeal among suburban women with children voterslike herselfa key demographic whichjumped ship to Trudeau's Liberals.

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Michelle Rempel, a staple on CBC'sPower & Politicsduring the election campaign, will be the critic for the citizenship, immigration and refugees portfolio. The Tories have signalled that they have serious concerns about the prime minister's pledge to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by the end of the year. Ambrose is pushing Trudeau to "rethink" the ambitiouscommitment and focus on national security considerations.

Erin O'Toole, who tried to turn things around at Veterans Affairs after a series of controversies under his predecessor,Julian Fantino, will take the lead on Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

He'll be up against a formidable opponent in the formof Ralph Goodale, a seasoned parliamentarianwho has pledged to reform the Harper government's anti-terror legislation and bring about parliamentary oversight for the country's security agencies.

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Dianne Watts, the newly-elected MP for theriding of SurreyWhite Rock, will be the critic for Infrastructure and Communities. One of the main planks of Trudeau's platform was a promise to jump-start thesluggish economy through massive infrastructure investment, and deficit spending.

Watts, theformer popular mayor of Surrey, B.C., and a rising star in the party,will keep an eye on the Liberals as they shovel billions of taxpayer dollars out the door.

Ambrose, who will also be critic for the status of women, has carved out some new files, including a critic for matters relating to maternal, child and newborn health, to be handled by Alberta MP Mike Lake.

Weaknesses exposed

The composition of the shadow cabinetalso reveals some of the party's weaknesses after its defeat on Oct. 19. Wiped out in Atlantic Canada, Ambrose has recruited defeated MP Scott Armstrong to be their critic for the region. He will serve in that role from outside of Parliament.

The party's critic for urban affairs, John Brassard,hails from BarrieInnisfill, a riding that is more than an hour north of Toronto. That appointment is a testament to the party's near-collapse in the country's largest cities.

Full list of Conservativecritic responsibilities

Shadow cabinet members:

• Rona Ambrose (Sturgeon RiverParkland)Leader of the Official Opposition and Status of Women
• Denis Lebel (Lac-Saint-Jean)Deputy Leader and Intergovernmental Affairs
• Ziad Aboultaif (Edmonton Manning)National Revenue
• Scott ArmstrongAtlantic Issues and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
• Candice Bergen (PortageLisgar)Natural Resources
• Maxime Bernier (Beauce)Innovation, Science and Economic Development
• James Bezan (SelkirkInterlakeEastman)National Defence
• Steven Blaney (BellechasseLes EtcheminsLvis)Public Services and Procurement
• Kelly Block (Carleton TrailEagle Creek)Transport
• Alupa Clarke (BeauportLimoilou)Veterans Affairs
• Tony Clement (Parry SoundMuskoka)Foreign Affairs
• Grard Deltell (Louis-Saint-Laurent)Employment, Workforce and Labour
• Ed Fast (Abbotsford)Environment and Climate Change
• Marilyn Gladu (SarniaLambton)Science
• K. Kellie Leitch (SimcoeGrey)Health
• Cathy McLeod (KamloopsThompsonCariboo)Indigenous Affairs
• Rob Nicholson (Niagara Falls)Justice
• Deepak Obhrai (Calgary Forest Lawn)International Development
• Erin O'Toole (Durham)Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
• Pierre Paul-Hus (CharlesbourgHaute-Saint-Charles)National Defence (associate)
• Pierre Poilievre (Carleton)Treasury Board and the National Capital Commission
• Lisa Raitt (Milton)Finance
• Scott Reid (LanarkFrontenacKingston)Democratic Institutions
• Michelle Rempel (Calgary Nose Hill)Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
• Gerry Ritz (BattlefordsLloydminster)International Trade
• Mark Strahl (ChilliwackHope)Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
• Peter Van Loan (YorkSimcoe)Canadian Heritage and National Historic Sites
• Karen Vecchio (ElginMiddlesexLondon)Families, Children and Social Development
• Mark Warawa (LangleyAldergrove)Seniors
• Chris Warkentin (Grande PrairieMackenzie)Agriculture and Agri-food
• Dianne Watts (South SurreyWhite Rock)Infrastructure and Communities
• Alice Wong (Richmond Centre)Small Business

Other critics:

• Dan Albas (Central OkanaganSimilkameenNicola)Interprovincial Trade
• David Anderson (Cypress HillsGrasslands)Human Rights and Religious Freedom
• Sylvie Boucher (BeauportCte-de-Beauprle d'OrlansCharlevoix)La Francophonie
• John Brassard (BarrieInnisfil)Urban Affairs
• Todd Doherty (CaribooPrince George)Asia-Pacific Gateway
• Cheryl Gallant (RenfrewNipissingPembroke)Regional Development for Northern Ontario
• Bernard Gnreux (MontmagnyL'IsletKamouraskaRivire-du-Loup)Official Languages
• Jol Godin (PortneufJacques-Cartier)Canadian Economic Development for Quebec Regions
• Rachael Harder (Lethbridge)Youth and Persons with Disabilities
• Matt Jeneroux (Edmonton Riverbend)Western Economic Diversification
• Robert Kitchen (SourisMoose Mountain)Sport
• Mike Lake (EdmontonWetaskiwin)Maternal, Newborn and Child Health
• Alexander Nuttall (BarrieSpringwaterOro-Medonte)Federal Development for Southern Ontario
• Blake Richards (BanffAirdrie)Tourism
• Bev Shipley (LambtonKentMiddlesex)Rural Affairs
• Robert Sopuck (DauphinSwan RiverNeepawa)Wildlife Conservation and Parks Canada
• Brad Trost (SaskatoonUniversity)Canada/U.S. Relations
• David Yurdiga (Fort McMurrayCold Lake)Northern Affairs