MP Sweet appointed Shadow Minister for International Human Rights and Religious Freedom

December 2, 2019, Hamilton, Ont. – As the House of Commons resumes this week for a new session, Flamborough-Glanbrook MP David Sweet has been appointed Shadow Minister for International Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the Conservative Shadow Cabinet that will hold the Trudeau Liberal government to account on a host of domestic and international issues.

Sweet has served on the House of Commons Sub-committee on International Human Rights for over a dozen years, including most recently as Vice-Chair. He was also a founding member of the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Anti-Semitism and co-author of its report in 2011. On both these committees and other work he has done on related files, Sweet has earned a reputation for working across partisan lines.

Some of the issues on which Sweet has been most outspoken include human rights abuses in Iran, the atrocities against the Rohingya in Myanmar, the persecution of the Falun Gong, Uyghurs and minority Tibetans in China and threats to minority groups, the Bahá’í and women in a number of Middle East countries. Sweet has also been a regular contributor to Iran Accountability Week held on Parliament Hill each spring.

“I’m honoured to take on this new role and continue to work on international human rights issues with Opposition colleagues, government members, stakeholders, victims and their families,” said Sweet. “We’re so blessed to live in Canada where human rights, freedoms, diversity and democracy are celebrated. We can see in the news there are an increasing number of issues in other parts of the world. It’s our duty to speak out for those who may not be able to speak for themselves.”

Sweet has served in a variety of roles in Parliament since 2006, including Chair of the Industry, Science and Technology and Veterans’ Affairs Standing Committees. In the last session of Parliament, Sweet was National Conservative Caucus Chair, part of the Official Opposition leadership team.