New Brunswick premier focuses on population growth in cabinet shuffle

New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant is focusing on population growth in a major cabinet shuffle that ushers in three rookie ministers and creates two new portfolios in the leadup to next year’s provincial election.

Gallant said the new portfolio of labour, employment and population growth will ensure New Brunswick has the workforce it needs to grow the economy, while the new portfolio of agriculture, mines and rural affairs will focus on job creation in the province’s traditional industries.

“To continue to grow the New Brunswick economy, we must consistently work at growing our population and workforce, and we must support industries that are in rural New Brunswick,” Gallant said.

The province is also formally appointing five regional ministers to advocate on behalf of various regions at the cabinet table, including Gallant, who will serve as regional minister for Saint John and southwestern New Brunswick.

Three MLAs first elected in 2014 are joining cabinet: incoming Health Minister Benoit Bourque; Agriculture, Mines and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Harvey; and Labour, Employment and Population Growth Minister Gilles LePage.

Veteran ministers Donald Arseneault, Victor Boudreau and Ed Doherty, among the province’s longest-serving Liberal MLAs, are leaving cabinet and will not seek re-election next fall.

In all, New Brunswick will have 15 cabinet ministers including the premier.