New ministers unveiled
Premier, PC cabinet sworn in at Halifax Convention Centre
HALIFAX — Premier Tim Houston and 18 cabinet ministers, a provincial cabinet record seven women and 11 men, were sworn in Tuesday afternoon.
“I could not be more proud of our caucus and our cabinet,” Houston said, addressing the limited number of people allowed to witness the swearing-in ceremony in person at the Halifax Convention Centre.
Houston said advice extended to him in his early 20s has served him well.
“The key to happiness and success lies in two simple principles,” Houston said, the emotion and the enormity of the moment audible in his voice.
“No. 1, marry the right person and No. 2, don't do anything that wouldn't make your parents proud. I have to say that I definitely feel like I nailed that first one, thank you Carol, and I think I've been relatively successful at the second.”
Houston said the point is to surround yourself with good people and hold yourself to account.
The good people Houston surrounded himself with Tuesday included a trio of new ministers to handle the complicated portfolio of health care, a fix that Houston had made the focus of an election campaign that garnered the PCs 31 of the 55 available seats on election night.
Michelle Thompson, an Antigonish-area nurse and long-term care home administrator who knocked off Liberal cabinet minister Randy Delorey in the Antigonish riding, is minister of Health and Wellness. Brian Comer, the MLA for Cape Breton East, assumes responsibility for the Office of Mental Health and Addictions and will be the minister responsible for youth and Communications Nova Scotia.
Barbara Adams, representing Cole Harbour-Eastern Passage, will be in charge of the Seniors and Long-term Care Department.
Thompson, who said she has worked in health care for 30 years, is raring to go.
“My lived experience is an asset in this role,” said Thompson, a political neophyte.
“The system is complex and in order for us to make gains across the system, we will have to work closely together,” she said of the three ministers who will be responsible for health care.
“It's going to be very important for us to meet on a regular basis and understand one another's initiatives. I think it will be a very close working relationship.
Allan MacMaster, the MLA for Inverness and the PCs' former House leader, has been named finance minister, along with the minister responsible for Gaelic Affairs. MacMaster will also serve as deputy premier.
John Lohr, the longtime MLA from Kings North, will take over the difficult portfolio of Housing and Municipal Affairs.
Lohr inherits a housing system that is under fire, marked by a Halifax police action two weeks ago to remove temporary shelters from public property that resulted in a prolonged confrontation between police and protesters.
“We recognize that there are huge issues in housing,” Lohr said of what the premier now considers the No. 2
government priority after health care.
“We recognize that there are a huge shortage of units and we want to solve that from the government's point of view,” Lohr said. “We realize that private industry, private investors, builders need to be part of that.”
Brad Johns, the representative from Sackville-Beaver Bank, will assume the role of minister of Justice and Attorney General.
Karla MacFarlane, a former interim party leader and the MLA for Pictou West, is the new Community Services minister and will be responsible for the status of women and the Office of L'nu Affairs.
Becky Druhan from the Lunenburg West riding is the minister of Education and Early Childhood Development. Druhan, a lawyer, said making improvements in education begins with relationship building.
“It's reaching out to the stakeholders, speaking with the union and getting briefed and really listening to the changes that need to be made by the people who are working in the system,” Druhan said.
In a release, teachers union president Paul Wozney said “for the first time in a generation the NSTU has an opportunity to build a new and more collaborative relationship with government and hopefully repair some of the damage from recent years.”
Recent years saw a contract imposed on the union by the Liberal government amid unrest that had teachers marching on Province House. Druhan promised that the government's relationship with the union would be much improved under the PCs. She also talked about the potential return of elected school boards that were eliminated by the Liberals.
Newly elected Jill Balser will carry the banner of minister of Labour Skills and Immigration and have responsibility for apprenticeship. Balser is the MLA for Digby-Annapolis.
Brian Wong, the MLA for Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank, will lead a newly separate Advanced Education Department.
Pat Dunn of Pictou Centre will return to cabinet, leading the Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage Department, which assumes responsibility for Tourism Nova Scotia. Dunn will also have responsibility for African Nova Scotia Affairs and the Office of Equity and AntiRacism Initiatives.
There were a record four Black MLAs elected to the House but none of them were members of the PC caucus. Houston said he considered a lot of options for the African Nova Scotia Affairs portfolio when asked if he had thought about bringing in someone from outside to fill the role.
“The reality, the conclusion that I reached ultimately was that our democracy works best when the people that are elected are put into positions of accountability,” Houston said. “My message to the community is that as the premier I am ultimately responsible for making sure that their views and concerns are heard and respected.
“He's (Dunn's) the right person in our cabinet to make sure the views of the (Black) community are respected.”
Susan Corkum-Greek, the MLA for Lunenburg, will be the Economic Development minister, Greg Morrow of Guysborough will head up the Agriculture Department and Seve Craig, the Sackville-Cobequid MLA, will be the Fisheries and Aquaculture minister.
Kim Maslund of QueensShelburne is the minister of Public Works, formerly known as Transportation and Active Transit.
Cumberland South MLA Troy Rushton is the new minister of Natural Resources and Renewables, combining the former Lands and Forestry and Energy and Mines departments.
Tim Halman of Dartmouth East is the new Environment minister and he will serve as chairman of the treasury board and Argyle MLA Colton LeBlanc takes on the Public Service Commission, internal services and Acadian Affairs.
Houston, the representative for Pictou East, will also take on the separate portfolios of Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs.