Rob Morrison has been appointed to the Conservative’s Shadow Cabinet and will serve on the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP), playing to the MP’s previous experience with the RCMP and with intelligence organizations.
Erin O’Toole, the new Leader of the Conservative Party, officially unveiled his Shadow Cabinet on Tuesday.
“I know that when we have a new leader they always look at the different resumes for the Shadow Cabinet and I was fortunate that Erin O’Toole and the leadership team looked at my resume,” Morrison told MyNelsonNow.com. “It kind of was, as people have said, kind of in my wheelhouse and it was really an honour to get the call to represent the Conservative Party on this committee.”
Morrison said his former experience as a diplomat in the Middle East and Central and Southwest Asia, as well as his work with intelligence groups while serving with the RCMP all factored into his appointment. Morrison said he also was the Director General with the Treasury Board Secretariat, where he was responsible for an information-sharing environment with all law enforcement agencies in Canada, as well as foreign governments.
The Kootenay-Columbia MP was honoured by the appointment, adding that it is also a win for the riding.
“We’re out in the middle of the sticks so sometimes we’re just not as, I guess, vocal sometimes as some of the larger centres in the metropolitan areas,” said Morrison. “It’s really nice to see Kootenay-Columbia have a Shadow Minister and I’ll bee working hard with this committee.”
As for exactly what NSICOP is responsible for and does, Morrison said a lot of their work is non-partisan.
“We are looking at all of the intelligence agencies in Canada to see how they’re operating, how are they keeping their intelligence,” said Morrison. “I think the biggest thing is trying to ensure that all of the agencies work together to solve and identify some of the threats that we have in Canada.”
Morrison said keeping Canadians safe is a top priority and that he looks forward to engaging with senior officials in the Canadian security community while continuing his local duties as a Member of Parliament.
It’s time to take another look at the Conservative Party. Meet our Shadow Cabinet. We are here to fight for you and your family. pic.twitter.com/dHTD3aC6YZ
— Erin O’Toole (@ErinOTooleMP) September 8, 2020