Photo: The Canadian Press

John Zerucelli, left (Secretary of State Labour) and Stephen Fuhr (Secretary of State Defence Procurement) arrive for a cabinet swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

UPDATE: 11:40 a.m.

Kelowna Member of Parliament and former fighter pilot Stephen Fuhr has been appointed Secretary of State for Defence Procurement, his first junior cabinet role.

Fuhr, who previously chaired the House of Commons Standing Committee on National Defence, was sworn in during a ceremony in Ottawa Tuesday morning.

Shortly after the event, he shared the news in a Facebook post, calling the appointment both a personal honour and a reflection of the trust placed in him by his constituents.

“This opportunity reflects not only a commitment to our national security, but also the incredible trust the community of Kelowna has placed in me to help lead Canada’s defence interests into the future," Fuhr said in a statement Tuesday.

"I am truly humbled by the confidence and support you’ve shown."

The new Secretary of State role will involve managing defence procurement strategies.

“As we look ahead, I remain firmly motivated to ensure that our armed forces have the tools they need to protect Canadians,” he said. “And that this work is done with transparency, efficiency, and strategic foresight."

ORIGINAL 9 a.m.

Kelowna MP Stephen Fuhr has been given a new, higher profile role in government.

During Tuesday's swearing in ceremony in Ottawa, Prime Minister Marc Carney swore in his new cabinet and Fuhr was named secretary of state in defence procurement.

Secretary of state is a title given to junior ministers of state in the Government of Canada.

Fuhr has a strong history in Canadian defence. He flew CF-18 fighter jets for the Canadian Air Force, and spent years training military pilots, but in 2016 after being elected the MP of Kelowna-Lake Country, he was also named to Canada's Standing Committee on National Defence.

The national defence committee is mandated to review all matters pertaining to the Department of National Defence and the Armed Forces. It is responsible for examining legislation, activities and expenditures of the military and determining the effectiveness of related policies and programs.

Carney's new cabinet has been described “small, focused” cabinet of less than 30 ministers and up to 10 secretaries of state, with half of the entire team being “fresh faces,” meaning that they have never been sworn in as ministers, said a source within the Prime Minister’s Office.