Mix of veterans, newcomers
Premier includes more women than ever in cabinet, more regional balance
Dennis King will start his second term in government with a bigger, more representative cabinet.
King's cabinet was officially sworn in by Lt.-Gov. Antoinette Perry during a ceremony at the Confederation Centre of the Arts' Memorial Hall on April 14. King will lead a cabinet of 11 other ministers.
He had no shortage of MLAs to choose from, having led his Progressive Conservative team to capturing 22 of the P.E.I. legislature's 27 seats.
In a speech following the swearing-in ceremony, King said the new cabinet included a record number of women – four. Prior to this cabinet, there had never been more than two women serving in the same cabinet in P.E.I.'s political history.
“The individuals before you today represent a positive step forward in our province with the most gender-diverse cabinet in our province's history,” King said.
“The individuals before you today represent all three counties and represent communities large and small, rural and urban. The individuals before you today have representation from the four largest municipalities in our province."
Aside from his role as premier, King will continue as minister responsible for intergovernmental affairs and minister responsible for Indigenous relations.
His new cabinet is:
• Bloyce Thompson- deputy premier and minister of agriculture, minister of justice, public safety and attorney general;
• Steven Myers - minister of environment, energy and climate action;
• Ernie Hudson - minister of transportation and infrastructure;
• Natalie Jameson - minister of education and early years and minister responsible for the status of women;
• Cory Deagle - minister of fisheries, tourism, sport and culture;
• Mark McLane - minister of health and wellness;
• Gilles Arsenault - minister of economic development, innovation and trade and minister responsible for Acadian and francophone affairs;
• Jill Burridge - minister of finance;
• Rob Lantz - minister of housing, land and communities;
• Barb Ramsay - minister of social development and seniors;
• Jenn Redmond - minister of workforce, advanced learning and population.
New members join veterans King's cabinet includes five newly elected MLAs – Arsenault, Burridge, Lantz, Ramsay and Redmond.
Six veterans from King's previous cabinet – Thompson, Myers, Hudson, Jameson, Deagle and McLane – will remain in cabinet.
Three former cabinet ministers – Jamie Fox, Matt MacKay and Darlene Compton - will not be joining cabinet this spring.
As minister of housing, MacKay earned uncharacteristically kind words from the Opposition Green bench, putting in place some steps to address both a housing and homelessness crisis.
King suggested the highdemand portfolios also took a personal toll on MacKay.
“When he started in this, his twins were two. Now they're six, going to school.
Life slips by kind of fast. We hear a lot in various departments about work life balance," King said.
King also said Fox has been a “tremendous” and “respected” minister.
King also said Compton has expressed interest in the position of Speaker of the legislative assembly, a position elected by both government and Opposition members.
“She asked me if I would support her. I told her I would, but I'm only one out of 27,” King said.
“I think it would be hard for me to envision someone that would get more votes than her.”
Barb Ramsay will bring representation to King's cabinet for Summerside for the first time.
PCH A PRIORITY
New Health Minister Mark McLane will be tasked with addressing an impending departure of internal medicine specialists at Prince County Hospital, which has thrown the future of the facility's intensive care unit into question.
King said he has talked with Health P.E.I. CEO Michael Gardam and said his government would prioritize recruiting replacement internists.
In addition, he said retired physicians and Summerside council have expressed interest in helping to settle new physicians in the community and retain existing doctors.
King also said the mandate letter of his new health minister would include spending more time with frontline health workers.
“I think a lot of our challenges here have come down to some communication challenges and I don't think that's something that we can let go any further," King said.