Sukh Dhaliwal Appointed as Opposition Critic for the Asia Pacific Gateway and Sport; Surrey MP responsible for holding two cabinet ministers to account

Ottawa, ON -Leader of the Opposition Stéphane Dion named his shadow cabinet this afternoon, appointing Sukh Dhaliwal, MP for Newton-North Delta, as critic responsible for the Asia Pacific Gateway and Sport. The two government cabinet positions are held by BC MPs Stockwell Day and Gary Lunn respectively.

“For British Columbia, these are two public policy areas that will have huge economic impact in the coming years, and I am pleased to step into the role of critic for both,” said Dhaliwal. “This government cannot treat these issues as second class, because on both fronts, there are national implications that must be considered.”

The Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative is an integrated set of federal government investment and policy measures focused on trade with the Asia-Pacific Region. Its mission is to establish Canada’s Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor as the best transportation network facilitating global supply chains between North America and Asia. Over the past two years Dhaliwal has worked with his constituents and stakeholders on the South Fraser Perimeter Road, a portion of the Gateway that passes through his riding.

Federal support for sports includes Sport Canada and the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, which will be held from February 12 to February 28, 2010 in Vancouver and Whistler. The Government of Canada is a major partner of the Games, and has invested more than $650 million into various initiatives.

The announcement comes on the heels of Prime Minister Stephen Harper shutting out Surrey and Delta from any cabinet representation, in spite of having a number of MPs to choose from.

Sukh Dhaliwal has represented Newton-North Delta since 2006, and is one of the only Liberal MPs in Canada to increase his electoral margin of victory in 2008.

- 30 -

For further information:

media@sukhdhaliwal.ca
(604) 506-0735