Shannon Stubbs was born near Chipman, Alberta in 1979.[1] She claims partial Ojibwa ancestry[2] and is the daughter of Bruce Stubbs.[citation needed] She is the granddaughter of Eileen Stubbs, a former mayor of Dartmouth. Her mother died when she was 14. Of her grandmother, Stubbs has stated that “...She wasn’t partisan; she was all over the political map, but right and wrong mattered to her. I try to remember that and hope it will guide me in politics.”[3]
Stubbs was elected in the 2015 federal election to represent the Conservative Party in the newly recreated riding of Lakeland with a 74% popular vote.[9] She was appointed to the position of deputy critic for natural resources by Conservative interim leader Rona Ambrose.[10] Here, she serves on the House's Standing Committee on Natural Resources.[11] She also serves as vice-chair for the Special Committee on Pay Equity.[12]
Shortly after Stubbs was elected in 2015, the federal government announced the relocation of an Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada case-processing centre in Vegreville, Alberta to be moved to Edmonton for better access. Being a subject of controversy, the centre officially closed in September 2018.[13] Stubbs, however, won a 2017 Maclean's Parliamentarian of the Year award for MP that best represents constituents for her efforts to keep this centre open.[14]
During her first term, Stubbs participated in 497 Chamber Interventions, 338 Committee Interventions, and 892 Chamber Votes.[15] She seconded Bill C-406 which was an Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (foreign contributions).[15] This Bill, however, did not become a law.[16] In September, 2016, Stubbs presented petition e-216 to the House of Commons.[17]
In May 2018, Stubbs sponsored motion M-167, the instruction to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security to undergo a study on rural crime in Canada. This motion was jointly seconded by 17 members and was agreed to on May 20, 2018.[18]
Stubbs was re-elected with 83.9% of the votes for her riding during the 2019 federal election, making Canadian history for receiving the highest percentage for a female candidate.[20][21] During the ensuing 43rd Canadian Parliament, she introduced one private member bill, Bill C-221, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (oil and gas wells) which sought to create a tax credit for corporate expenses incurred during the decommissioning of old and inactive oil and gas wells.[22] It was brought to a vote on March 10, 2021, but defeated with only the Conservatives and Green Party members voting in favour.
After Erin O'Toole became the Conservative Party leader, he reassigned Stubbs, effective September 8, 2020, to be the Official Opposition Shadow Minister for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.[23]
In 2021 Stubbs again received a Maclean's Parliamentarian of the Year award for Member of Parliament that "Best Represents Constituents."[24]
Following the Canadian federal election in September 2021, where the Conservative Party gained no seats and remained in opposition, Stubbs criticized O'Toole for his campaign leadership, and as of December 6, 2021[update], was the only MP calling for an early leadership review within 6 months.[25] In early December 2021, O'Toole referred Stubbs for investigation by the House of Commons for allegedly creating a toxic workplace environment in her office. The Globe and Mail and The Canadian Press independently confirmed an incident in where some of Stubbs's employees felt pressured into painting a room in her house. Stubbs told The Globe that the housepainting was a gift and that the referral was reprisal by O'Toole over her criticism of her leadership.[25]
