Melissa Lantsman: podcast appearances and interviews

Melissa Lantsman, born on April 8, 1984, is a Canadian politician and former public relations executive. She has been serving as the Member of Parliament for Thornhill since 2021, representing the Conservative Party. Lantsman is the party's co-deputy leader and the co-deputy leader of the Official Opposition, serving alongside Tim Uppal. She made history as the first openly lesbian and first Jewish woman elected as a Conservative MP. Following Pierre Poilievre's election as Conservative Leader, he appointed Lantsman as one of two deputy leaders of the party. Her background includes work as a communications advisor to several cabinet members in the 28th Canadian Ministry under Prime Minister Stephen Harper. She also served as a senior advisor to the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario and was its chief spokesperson during the 2018 Ontario provincial election. Additionally, Lantsman held the position of national vice president of Public Affairs at Enterprise Canada, a strategic communications firm. In 2020, after Peter Kent retired from Parliament, she announced her candidacy for the Conservative nomination in Thornhill and defeated incumbent Gila Martow to become the Conservative candidate for the riding. Lantsman was elected to Parliament in September 2021 and sworn in later that October. She initially served as the Opposition critic for transport and was elected vice-chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport and Infrastructure. Currently, she sits on the Special Committee on the Canada–People’s Republic of China Relationship.