Premier Alison Redford will announce the appointment of her first cabinet at 10:00am this morning. I presented my list of predictions last week and since then we have some stronger indication of who will be appointed today and who will be joining the backbenchers this morning. We have been told to expect a significant shuffle and a smaller number of cabinet ministers.
Most of the speculation over the past few days about who will be left out of the next cabinet has been fairly obvious:
Iris Evans (Sherwood Park) – Long-time cabinet minister under Premiers Ralph Klein and Ed Stelmach. Her staff was seen cleaning our her office this week, according to CBC reporter Kim Trynacity.
Ron Liepert (Calgary-West) – Apt at picking the wrong horse in his party’s leadership contests, Mr. Liepert was the strong-arm for Jim Dinning in 2006 and Gary Mar in 2011.
Lloyd Snelgrove (Vermilion-Lloydminster) – The last Finance Minister of Premier Stelmach’s administration supported Mr. Mar in the leadership contest and told the Meridian-Booster that he would decline an appointment in Premier Redford’s cabinet.
UPDATE: Here is the list of new cabinet ministers:
Alison Redford, QC, Calgary-Elbow Premier, President of Executive Council, Chair of Agenda and Priorities
Doug Horner, Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert Deputy Premier, President of Treasury Board and Enterprise
David Hancock, Edmonton-Whitemud Minister of Human Services, Government House Leader
Ted Morton, Foothills-Rocky View Minister of Energy
Verlyn Olson, Wetaskiwin-Camrose Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Deputy Government House Leader
Fred Horne, Edmonton-Rutherford Minister of Health and Wellness
Ron Liepert, Calgary-West Minister of Finance
Thomas Lukaszuk, Edmonton-Castle Downs Minister of Education
Diana McQueen, Drayton Valley-Calmar Minister of Environment and Water
Jonathan Denis, Calgary-Egmont Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security; Deputy Government House Leader
Cal Dallas, Red Deer-South Minister of International, Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Relations
Evan Berger, Livingstone-Macleod Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
Frank Oberle, Peace River Minister of Sustainable Resource Development
George VanderBurg, Whitecourt-Ste. Anne Minister of Seniors
Ray Danyluk, Lac La Biche-St. Paul Minister of Transportation
Jeff Johnson, Athabasca-Redwater Minister of Infrastructure
Doug Griffiths, Battle River-Wainwright Minister of Municipal Affairs
Greg Weadick, Lethbridge-West Minister of Advanced Education and Technology
Jack Hayden, Drumheller-Stettler Minister of Tourism, Parks and Recreation
Heather Klimchuk, Edmonton-Glenora Minister of Culture and Community Services
Manmeet Bhullar, Calgary-Montrose Minister of Service Alberta
8 replies on “alison redford’s first cabinet – who’s in? who’s out?”
I think Snelgrove announcing that he would decline a Cabinet post is pretty funny, he likely was not going to be offered one in the first place.
If those 3 are gone, it bodes well for the new cabinet. I sincerely hope there are a whole bunch more of them booted and hope they take their DMs with them!
Thanks who have served Alberta in a senior capacity and welcome to those who will now serve in new roles.
Smart, savvy and hard-working MLAs such as Diana McQueen, Jeff Johnson, Evan Berger, Manmeet Bhullar, Fred Horne are all worthy of consideration for playing a more senior role in the new administration.
I expect to see fewer “political favors” and more “political smarts” chosen for cabinet.
The Committee assignments will be another interesting & challenging area to watch. Will there be many options for change with the limited talent pool?
Will all of the Parliamentary Assistants jump to Cabinet?
Hopefully Alison gives Rob Renner the job of tending flowers in front of the Leg, since that is what this doofus is worthy of. After blowing billions of Alberta taxpayers dollars on global warming, any minister who fell for this SCAM should be tending flowers with Renner. I don’t know Redford but will give her the same free ride I gave RedEd his first year, after seeing him cancel fully permitted seismic activity around a “Yukon” lake, screwing the oil patch royalties around, I knew we had an idiot farmer who never hired anyone in his life. Redford has to understand, Oil and Agriculture are the most important industries in Alberta, failure to stay out of the way of wealth creators, has been Eds downfall and will be the downfall of any successor.
Good Choices Alison!!!!! Good work Premeir
Energy is the most important portfolio where the REAL decisions about how this province is ruled are made. The oil boys have their man in charge: Ted Morton. Groan.