Melissa Lantsman
Melissa Lantsman (born April 8, 1984) is a Canadian politician and public relations executive. She has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Thornhill since 2021. A member of the Conservative Party, she is co-deputy leader of the party and the Official Opposition, alongside Tim Uppal.[1] Lantsman is the first openly gay and first Jewish woman elected as a Conservative MP.[2] When Pierre Poilievre became Conservative leader, he appointed Lantsman as one of two deputy leaders.[3]
Melissa Lantsman | |
|---|---|
 Lantsman in the House of Commons, 2024 | |
| Deputy Leader of the Opposition | |
| Assumed office September 13, 2022 Serving with Tim Uppal | |
| Leader | Pierre Poilievre |
| Preceded by | Luc Berthold |
| Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party | |
| Assumed office September 13, 2022 Serving with Tim Uppal | |
| President | Robert Batherson |
| Leader | Pierre Poilievre |
| Preceded by | Luc Berthold |
| Shadow Minister of Transport | |
| In office November 9, 2021 – October 12, 2022 | |
| Leader | Erin O'Toole Candice Bergen Pierre Poilievre |
| Preceded by | Stephanie Kusie |
| Succeeded by | Mark Strahl |
| Member of the Canadian Parliament for Thornhill | |
| Assumed office September 20, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Peter Kent |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 8, 1984 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Political party | Conservative (federal) Progressive Conservative (provincial) |
| Alma mater | University of Toronto (BA) University of Ottawa |
| Occupation | Politician, public relations executive, political strategist |
Lantsman worked as a communications advisor to several cabinet members in Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government. She was also a senior advisor to the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario and served as its chief spokesperson during the 2018 Ontario provincial election.[4] Before becoming an MP, she was the national vice president of Public Affairs at Enterprise Canada, a strategic communications firm.[5]
In 2020, when Peter Kent retired from Parliament, Lantsman announced she would run for the federal Conservative nomination in Thornhill.[6] She won the nomination on March 17, 2021, defeating Gila Martow, the sitting Progressive Conservative MPP for the area. Lantsman was elected to Parliament on September 20, 2021, and officially took office on October 28. In November, she was named the Opposition critic for transport in Erin O'Toole's Shadow Cabinet. She was also elected vice-chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport and Infrastructure and currently serves on the Special Committee on Canada–China Relations.[7]
Career
As a teenager, Lantsman volunteered for Conservative candidates in local elections. During the 2008 federal election, she became a senior communications advisor when the Conservative Party won a minority government. She was then appointed as director of communications for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, working under Ministers Lawrence Cannon and John Baird from 2008 to 2011. From 2011 to 2012, Lantsman was communications director for the Office of the Prime Minister, joining Stephen Harper on domestic and international trips.[8]
She briefly worked as a senior public affairs advisor at Coca-Cola before returning to government in 2014 as director of communications for Finance Minister Joe Oliver. After the Conservatives lost the 2015 election, Lantsman joined the private sector as a senior director at CIBC Capital Markets. [9]
References
- ↑ "Conservative Melissa Lantsman takes Thornhill, which once belonged to Peter Kent". Toronto Star. September 21, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ↑ Benzie, Robert (November 23, 2020). "Key Premier Doug Ford allies battle for federal Tory nomination in Thornhill". Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2020/11/23/key-premier-doug-ford-allies-battle-for-federal-tory-nomination-in-thornhill.html.
- ↑ John Paul Tasker (13 September 2022). "Poilievre unveils House of Commons leadership team that includes two LGBT MPs". CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/poilievre-commons-leadership-team-1.6581317. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
- ↑ Sarick, Lila (November 27, 2020). "Martow, Lantsman Vie for Tory Nod in Thornhill". Canadian Jewish Record. Archived from the original on August 17, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ↑ "Melissa Lantsman Joins Enterprise as Vice President, National Public Affairs". Enterprise Canada. January 23, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ↑ "Key Premier Doug Ford allies battle for federal Tory nomination in Thornhill". Toronto Star. November 23, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
- ↑ House of Commons (April 19, 2024). "House of Commons Committees CACN". House of Commons. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ↑ Gordon, Dave (July 19, 2023). "'Very hard' to separate self, Jewish upbringing, says deputy Canadian opposition leader". Jewish News Syndicate. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ↑ "Melissa Lantsman, Vice President - Bio". Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario. October 15, 2018. Retrieved April 19, 2024.