Tuesday June 30, 2026 | OTTAWA, ON [Posted in LANGFORD, BC – 2:18 pm PT | Updated 11:21 pm]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Jeff Kibble, Member of Parliament for Cowichan–Malahat–Langford, will be joining shadow cabinet as the Shadow Minister of Defence Procurement.
Kibble has been appointed to that role by Leader of the Opposition Pierre Poilievre, announced today ahead of Canada Day.
Large Conservative shadow cabinet:
The Conservative shadow cabinet (i.e. ministers with assignments that for the most part matching up with the government’s ministerial posts) now stands at 84 including the Leader, Pierre Poilievre.
Melissa Lantsman remains as deputy leader and Andrew Scheer as house leader.
Other shadow cabinet posts and changes were announced today, including Aaron Gunn (North Island-Powell River) now as shadow minister for Ethics and Accountable Government and Michael Chong (Wellington-Halton Hills North) changing from Foreign Affairs to Finance.
Leslyn Lewis is the shadow minister for Digital Government and Artificial Intelligence. Raquel Dancho is the shadow minister for Health.
Tamara Kronis (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) is the shadow minister for Supply Chain Issues & Chair of the Food Affordability Task Force.
Pivotal moment in rebuilding the armed forces:
“The appointment reflects the trust placed in Kibble’s judgment and expertise as Canada faces a pivotal moment in rebuilding and modernizing its armed forces,” says Kibble’s news release on June 30.
Kibble brings 28 years of service in the Royal Canadian Navy to the role, experience that he says has shaped his approach to defence policy since his election.
As a member of the Standing Committee on National Defence, he has examined procurement delays and capability gaps facing the Canadian Armed Forces, visiting bases across the country to meet directly with commanding officers, service members, and the communities that support them.
Kibble says that from CFB Esquimalt and CFB Comox on Vancouver Island to CFB Halifax, his naval career and committee work have given him first-hand familiarity with the people, communities, and challenges that define Canada’s military bases from coast to coast.
He says he knows “what it takes to get procurement right”, itemizing clear strategy, current threat assessments, and decisions made in the interest of Canada’s defence, not competing priorities.
“I am grateful for the confidence the Leader of the Opposition has placed in me,” said Kibble.
“As we rebuild the Canadian Armed Forces, Canadians deserve to know it is being done efficiently, openly, and with full transparency. That means eliminating conflicts of interest, defining the risks clearly, and acquiring the right equipment for the missions ahead. It also means fixing the recruitment crisis — because the best equipment in the world is only as good as the people trained to operate it,” said Kibble today.
“Canada’s sovereignty is not negotiable, and the women and men who defend it deserve a procurement system equal to that responsibility,” said MP Kibble.
Carney’s armed forces focus:
Since being elected in April 205, Prime Minister Mark Carney has given strong focus to rebuilding the overall Canadian military and national defence strategy.
Carney often states how Canada now finds itself in a “more dangerous and divided world”. Paying more to military personnel has been one of the starting points for the Carney Liberal government, as well as boosting Canada’s contribution to NATO to 2.0% by the promised target of March 31, 2026 (along with a stated goal of getting that up to 5% by 2036).
Canada attended Arctic exercises earlier this year and discusses national defence with pretty much every other world leader that he meets with — either on trade missions, at G7 meetings, or other international gatherings.
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NEWS SECTIONS: MILITARY and DEFENCE | NATIONAL DEFENCE