This isn't my first "official" MP report, since all Members of Parliament elected and re-elected in last week's election won't be officially sworn in until later this month.

That said, congratulations are in order to our region’s elected Members of Parliament:

Helena Konanz (Conservative) representing the riding of Similkameen-South Okanagan-West Kootenay.
Stephen Fuhr (Liberal) representing the riding of Kelowna.
Scott Anderson (Conservative) in the riding of Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee.

I want to also extend my sincere thanks to former Kelowna–Lake Country MP Tracy Gray for her years of dedicated, passionate service to our region. I will deeply miss working with Tracy as a colleague in Ottawa. To all candidates who ran in the recent election, thank you for stepping forward to serve our community.

Here in Canada, we are fortunate that our democracy is run by Canadians, not voting machines. I extend my gratitude to the Elections Canada staff and volunteer scrutineers—your dedication ensures trust and integrity in our electoral process. Finally, a huge thank you to the many volunteers across all campaigns who worked tirelessly to advance and strengthen our Canadian democratic process. Your efforts are deeply appreciated by everyone.

So what happens next?

Over the next 10 days, newly elected MPs will travel to Ottawa to be officially sworn in as members of Canada's 45th Parliament. The Prime Minister will name his new cabinet and key leadership team members, while the Leader of the Official Opposition will make similar appointments shortly thereafter.

Since the Leader of the Official Opposition was not re-elected in his riding, he will run in an upcoming by-election in another riding. In the meantime, Andrew Scheer, the former Conservative Leader and current House Leader, will serve as the interim Official Opposition Leader in Parliament.

Similarly, the NDP has named British Columbia MP Don Davies as Interim Leader following Jagmeet Singh's resignation.

An interesting development is that Prime Minister Mark Carney has stated he will not pursue a coalition agreement with the NDP—unlike his predecessor in the previous Parliament. What does this mean for Parliament? We'll find out when Canada's new Parliament convenes on May 26th, when His Majesty King Charles III will open the session with the Speech from the Throne.

For followers of Canadian federal politics, these are truly exciting times.

It is a tremendous honour to be re-elected by the people of Okanagan Lake West-South Kelowna. I commit to all residents to remain accountable and transparent, and to work diligently to ensure our new Parliament serves the interests of all Canadians.

Thank you for your support!

I can be reached at [email protected] or call toll free at 1-800-665-8711.