Melissa Lantsman

Melissa Lantsman
Born	(1984-04-08) April 8, 1984 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation(s)	Politician, former public relations professional
Years active	2008–present
Known for	Member of Parliament for Thornhill, co-deputy leader of the Conservative Party and Official Opposition

Melissa Lantsman (born April 8, 1984) is a Canadian politician and former public relations professional currently representing Thornhill as a MP since 2021. Affiliated with the Conservative Party, she holds the position of co-deputy leader for both the party and the Official Opposition, sharing this role with Tim Uppal. Lantsman is notable for being the first openly gay and Jewish woman elected as a Conservative MP. Upon Pierre Poilievre's rise to Conservative leadership, she was named co-deputy leader.

Her career includes serving as a communications advisor to cabinet ministers during Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s administration. In the 2018 provincial election, she acted as senior advisor and chief spokesperson for the PC Party of Ontario. Additionally, she held the role of national vice president of Public Affairs at Enterprise Canada, a strategic communications agency.

Following the retirement of Peter Kent in 2020, Lantsman secured the federal Conservative nomination for Thornhill by defeating incumbent PC MPP Gila Martow. She was elected to Parliament in September 2021 and officially sworn in by October. Subsequently, she was appointed Opposition critic for transport and vice-chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport and Infrastructure. Presently, she is a member of the Special Committee on the Canada–People’s Republic of China Relationship.

Early life and education

Born in Toronto in 1984 to a Ukrainian Jewish family, Lantsman grew up in Thornhill. Her parents, Ora and Michael Lantsman, emigrated from Odesa to Canada in 1975. Her mother pursued a career in accounting while her father operated taxi services and managed pawn shops. She completed her secondary education at Langstaff Secondary School’s French immersion program and is proficient in French, English, and Russian. She has one brother.

Lantsman holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto and undertook graduate studies at both the University of Ottawa and Rotman School of Management.

Career

Starting as a youth volunteer for Conservative candidates, Lantsman advanced to become a senior communications advisor during the Conservative minority government following the 2008 federal election. Between 2008 and 2011, she served as director of communications at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under Ministers Lawrence Cannon and John Baird.

After a short tenure as senior public affairs advisor at The Coca-Cola Company, she returned to government service as director of communications for Finance Minister Joe Oliver. Following the Harper government's defeat in 2015, Lantsman transitioned to the private sector as senior director at CIBC Capital Markets.

In 2018, she acted as communications director for Ontario MPP Caroline Mulroney’s Ontario PC Party leadership campaign. After Mulroney's unsuccessful bid, Lantsman became chief spokesperson and war room director for the PC Party’s victorious 2018 Ontario general election campaign that ended 15 years of Liberal rule with a majority government. She then joined Hill+Knowlton Strategies in Toronto before becoming vice president for National Public Affairs at Enterprise Canada in 2020. In 2021, she resigned from Enterprise to focus on her political campaign. Public records show she serves as a director for a Toronto-based venture fund investing in early-stage enterprises emphasizing women founders.

Since 2019, Lantsman has appeared regularly as a political commentator on CBC News' Power & Politics and CTV's Power Play, alongside hosting a radio program on CFRB 1010 AM. Her board memberships have included the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, Jewish Addiction Community Services (JACS), and Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto.

Political activism and candidacy

Following the 2019 Canadian federal election, Lantsman, together with Conservative strategist Jamie Ellerton, co-authored an editorial in The Globe and Mail advocating for the party to embrace a more inclusive approach toward LGBTQ rights to enhance its electoral prospects.

In 2020, Thornhill’s Conservative MP Peter Kent announced his decision not to run in the 2021 Canadian federal election. Notably, this riding has the largest Jewish demographic in Canada, comprising 37 percent of its population.

On November 27, 2020, Lantsman entered the race for the Conservative nomination. Her campaign garnered support from prominent figures including former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, and several former federal cabinet ministers such as John Baird, Joe Oliver, Pierre Poilievre, Rona Ambrose, Michelle Rempel Garner, and Lisa Raitt. Additionally, Ontario provincial ministers Caroline Mulroney, Stephen Lecce, Greg Rickford, and Paul Calandra endorsed her candidacy. Federal and provincial Conservative legislators like Eric Duncan and Scott Aitchison also publicly supported her.

Between December 2020 and March 2021, Lantsman faced off against incumbent MPP for Thornhill, Gila Martow, in nomination debates. She secured the Conservative nomination on April 3, 2021, becoming the party’s official candidate. In the federal election held on September 20, 2021, she defeated Liberal contender Gary Gladstone by capturing 51.3 percent of the vote.

44th Parliament (2021–2025)

Lantsman was officially sworn in as a member of the 44th Canadian Parliament on October 26, 2021. Shortly thereafter, on November 9, she was appointed by then-Leader of the Opposition Erin O'Toole to serve as the Shadow Minister of Transport.

After the House unanimously passed a motion banning conversion therapy, Lantsman publicly voiced her strong endorsement via social media platforms.

On February 16, 2022, following Lantsman’s inquiry into the justification for invoking the Emergencies Act, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Conservative members of associating with individuals displaying swastikas. As a Jewish woman descended from Holocaust survivors, Lantsman demanded a formal apology from Trudeau, which was not forthcoming.

On February 27, Candice Bergen appointed Lantsman as Chair of Outreach in addition to her Shadow Minister responsibilities. After the Conservative leadership contest in September 2022, new party leader Pierre Poilievre elevated Lantsman to co-deputy leader alongside Alberta MP Tim Uppal.

In January 2023, Lantsman called for an urgent parliamentary debate addressing escalating violence in Toronto and nationwide. By May 2023, she advocated for isolating Uganda due to its anti-LGBTQ laws and took part in raising the pride flag on Parliament Hill. At the Conservative policy convention later that year, she defended delegates’ rights to discuss an anti-transgender resolution, underscoring the importance of grassroots participation within the party.

Lantsman is widely recognized for her pro-Israel stance. In March 2024, she opposed an NDP motion aimed at recognizing the State of Palestine, urged suspension of Canadian funding to UNRWA, and criticized allegations regarding UNRWA’s involvement related to the October 7 Hamas attack. Her office was subsequently targeted by protesters displaying posters accusing her of complicity.

Regarding Canada’s housing crisis, Lantsman proposed easing governmental obstacles and suggested that federal funding be contingent upon municipalities’ approval rates for housing projects as an incentive to boost construction activity.

Following remarks made by Poilievre in 2024 restricting transgender women’s access to women’s washrooms, Lantsman defended his position as reflecting "common sense" and representing views held within the Conservative caucus.

45th Parliament (2025–present)

In the 2025 federal election, Lantsman secured re-election, setting a new record in the Thornhill riding for both the largest number of votes received and the highest percentage of the vote share at 66.4%.

Personal life

Married since 2017, Lantsman manages severe Crohn's disease. She is fluent in English, French, and Russian, and is an avid supporter of the Toronto Blue Jays.