Minister of Women and Gender Equality Maryam Monsef lost her seat in the Sept. 20 election.
Monsef, who was seeking re-election for a third term in Peterborough-Kawartha, received over 22,000 votes, around 3,000 shy of her Conservative rival Michelle Ferreri.
Monsef’s campaign was marred by controversy after she made an impassioned appeal to the Taliban in late August, calling them “brothers” and pleading with them to allow Afghans to flee the country and respect the rights of others who are left behind.
“I want to take this opportunity to speak to our brothers, the Taliban,” she said in the address on Aug. 25.
“We call on you to ensure the safe and secure passage of any individual in Afghanistan out of the country. We call on you to immediately stop the violence, the genocide, the femicide, the destruction of infrastructure, including heritage buildings.”
Monsef’s comment calling the terrorist group “brothers” drew widespread criticism, but she defended her use of the term, saying it was a “cultural reference.”
The win by Ferrari, an entrepreneur and a former TV host, marks a milestone for the Conservatives as it returns the riding to the party for the first time since 2014, when it was held by former MP Dean Del Mastro.
Del Mastro was convicted of violating Elections Canada regulations in 2014 and sent to jail for a month.
