New Alberta cabinet

[Black Dog]

Link

The new cabinet is:

Lloyd Snelgrove (Vermilion-Lloydminster): president of the Treasury Board, minister of Service Alberta.

Doug Horner (Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert): Advanced education and technology.

Iris Evans (Sherwood Park): Employment, immigration and industry.

Mel Knight (Grande Prairie-Smoky): Energy.

Dave Hancock (Edmonton-Whitemud): Health and wellness, also government house leader.

Ray Danyluk (Lac La Biche-St. Paul): Municipal affairs and housing.

Ron Liepert (Calgary-West): Education.

Janis Tarchuk (Banff-Cochrane): Children's services.

Rob Renner (Medicine Hat): Environment, also deputy house leader.

George Groeneveld (Highwood): Agriculture and food.

Lyle Oberg (Strathmore-Brooks): Finance.

Luke Ouellette (Innisfail-Sylvan Lake): Infrastructure and Transportation.

Ron Stevens (Calgary-Glenmore): Justice and attorney general, also deputy house leader.

Greg Melchin (Calgary-North West): Seniors and community supports.

Guy Boutilier (Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo): International, intergovernmental and aboriginal relations.

Ted Morton (Foothills-Rocky View): Sustainable resource development.

Fred Lindsay (Stony Plain): Solicitor general, also minister of public security.

Hector Goudreau (Dunvegan-Central Peace): Tourism, parks, recreation and culture.

Some good picks and some real howlers (Sawmill Teddy as Minister of Trees? Noted spaz Boutilier with another gig?), but the rural/urban imbalance is the most glaring thing to me. Only four cabinet ministers with Edmonton or Calgary seats? Looks like rural Alberta's dominance of the province isn't going to be ending under Premier Ed.

[Hydraboss]

What the hell is with Lyle Giving-it-all-to-the-teachers-and-unions Oberg in Finance? The man can't find enough money for a decent, much-needed haircut, but Eddie's going to let him handle my money? Jeez.

Ted should have moved up the list by one spot.

Should have given Guy the Transportation portfolio, and then 63 would finally get twinned.

[Black Dog]

What the hell is with Lyle Giving-it-all-to-the-teachers-and-unions Oberg in Finance? The man can't find enough money for a decent, much-needed haircut, but Eddie's going to let him handle my money? Jeez.

Except that responsibility for budgets and financial priorities is now in the hands of the president of the Treasury Board (Snelgrove). Oberg is essentially the province's chief bean counter.

Ted should have moved up the list by one spot.

Yeeeah. No.

Should have given Guy the Transportation portfolio, and then 63 would finally get twinned.

And would subsequently be renamed the "Guy Boutilier Highway for Guy Boutilier."

[Hydraboss]

What, you think "Boutilier Superhighway" would have been too much?

[August1991]

From what I can gather, there are two women in the cabinet one of whom is in charge of children's services. You guys do things different in Alberta.

[jdobbin]

From what I can gather, there are two women in the cabinet one of whom is in charge of children's services. You guys do things different in Alberta.

You think she is ill suited for children's services? You're probably right: too emotional. You need a firm male hand when it comes to dealing with children.

"Are there no prisons? Are there no work-houses".

[B. Max]

From what I can gather, there are two women in the cabinet one of whom is in charge of children's services. You guys do things different in Alberta.

You think she is ill suited for children's services? You're probably right: too emotional. You need a firm male hand when it comes to dealing with children.

"Are there no prisons? Are there no work-houses".

They have childrens hospitals so why not prisons. I thought you were into the equality stuff. I guess not.

[Charles Anthony]

You think she is ill suited for children's services?

My first thought was the opposite: Aug91 was suggesting that she would be better suited.

[jdobbin]

They have childrens hospitals so why not prisons. I thought you were into the equality stuff. I guess not.

No, I agree it suits Alberta. You probably have the wring minister in place for that then.

[jdobbin]

My first thought was the opposite: Aug91 was suggesting that she would be better suited.

Hmm, and my first impression was that it was a sop to liberals.

[B. Max]

What the hell is with Lyle Giving-it-all-to-the-teachers-and-unions Oberg in Finance? The man can't find enough money for a decent, much-needed haircut, but Eddie's going to let him handle my money? Jeez.

Ted should have moved up the list by one spot.

Should have given Guy the Transportation portfolio, and then 63 would finally get twinned.

Lets hope 63 doesn't turn out to be the fiasco that 43 did.

[stignasty]

The new cabinet is:

Rob Renner (Medicine Hat): Environment, also deputy house leader.

Only one minister from the South. None West of Medicine Hat. No worries though, other than Lethbridge West, the Conservatives will still sweep Southern Alberta.

[geoffrey]

What the hell is with Lyle Giving-it-all-to-the-teachers-and-unions Oberg in Finance? The man can't find enough money for a decent, much-needed haircut, but Eddie's going to let him handle my money? Jeez.

Ted should have moved up the list by one spot.

Should have given Guy the Transportation portfolio, and then 63 would finally get twinned.

Lets hope 63 doesn't turn out to be the fiasco that 43 did.

We need a mono-rail...

[geoffrey]

Only one minister from the South. None West of Medicine Hat. No worries though, other than Lethbridge West, the Conservatives will still sweep Southern Alberta.

Only two from Calgary, that's a bigger injustice. My MLA was supposed to get a spot according to the pundits. Ady would be a good addition, and add another female into the mix. Oh well.

[stignasty]

Southwest is shut out

By DELON SHURTZ - Lethbridge Herald

Dec 16, 2006, 23:01

Premier Ed Stelmach’s government restructuring has stripped southern Alberta of its cabinet members.

The rookie premier has turfed Lethbridge MLA Clint Dunford, formerly minister of economic development, and Livingstone-Macleod MLA Doug Coutts, formerly minister of sustainable resource development. Little Bow MLA Barry McFarland, who was associate minister of infrastructure and transportation, and minister responsible for capital planning, was also given the boot Friday when Stelmach announced his new cabinet.

The snub has left at least one of the MLAs scratching his head and wondering why southern Alberta — other than Brooks where Lyle Oberg is minister of finance — has been shunned in favour of the north.

“I guess regionalization is in the eye of the beholder,” McFarland said about Stelmach’s promise to be a premier for the entire province, not just Edmonton and the north.

He said it’s “odd” that in an area where there was strong support for Ted Morton, there is no longer any cabinet representation. He’s upset that after 15 years as an MLA, serving on numerous government committees and boards and representing a huge agricultural-based constituency, that Stelmach would show his appreciation by turfing him from cabinet.

“I’ll set my qualifications up against anyone,” he said.

McFarland said he’ll continue to work hard as an MLA but he may rethink his future in politics.

“It doesn’t instill a lot of faith in someone who runs, that qualifications and hard work mean anything.”

http://www.lethbridgeherald.com/article_5259.php

[stignasty]

. . . and from the "Opinion" page:

‘Inclusive’ premier picks exclusive cabinet

By LETHBRIDGE HERALD

Dec 16, 2006, 23:01

Earlier this week, Premier Ed Stelmach promised to create a government that was inclusive and representative of all Albertans, both rural and urban.

But if Friday’s cabinet appointments are any indication, Stelmach’s Alberta ends at the Trans-Canada Highway and is populated almost entirely by Caucasian men.

For the first time in more than three decades, the Lethbridge region has no representation cabinet. The city is in good company out in the cold. Red Deer proper was also ignored, and representation from Calgary and Edmonton also dropped.

While the last cabinet had five women, including Shirley McClellan at the most prominent position as deputy premier and finance minister, Stelmach’s has just two: veteran Iris Evans handling employment, immigration and industry and rookie Janis Tarchuk overseeing children’s services.

While the last cabinet featured members of Asian, Metis and aboriginal backgrounds, this one has none of the above.

The premier, who promised a new era of integrity, started off by paying back political favours to his supporters, including a number of MLAs who are little known outside of northern Alberta, and giving leadership rivals Dave Hancock, of Edmonton, and Lyle Oberg, of Brooks, the ministries of health and finance, respectively.

http://www.lethbridgeherald.com/article_5260.php

[B. Max]

While the last cabinet featured members of Asian, Metis and aboriginal backgrounds, this one has none of the above.

Maybe that's why they could even get the roads built. While the size of government and spending increased out of control.

[blueblood]

I could care less if a cabinet was all purple skinned people. Stelmach figured this was the best cabinet to suit his tastes. should he be all Politically Correct and not have the cabinet he wants? If his government does a good job, then maybe having a rural cabinet with mostly white males is the way to go. Stelmach runs the show and he can pick whoever he wants in his cabinet, thats the beauty of being a premier. Its not like the people who didn't get cabinet positions are going to starve.

[Black Dog]

While the last cabinet featured members of Asian, Metis and aboriginal backgrounds, this one has none of the above.

Maybe that's why they could even get the roads built. While the size of government and spending increased out of control.

Holleeee shit.

[geoffrey]

While the last cabinet featured members of Asian, Metis and aboriginal backgrounds, this one has none of the above.

Maybe that's why they could even get the roads built. While the size of government and spending increased out of control.

Holleeee shit.

I can't tell if he's implying that these minorities would be better put to work on our roads?

[Jerry J. Fortin]

Let Ed pick his team, that is his right. From my perspective I would prefer to have each and every elected member of the legislature in a cabinet post, let me explain. I can thing of more single problems in this province than we have elected representatives. I think most people would agree that we would like to see the problems resolved, so the question is how do we get that done. To me the answer is simple, assign each MLA a problem to resolve. Give those people some work! If they don't get the job done then fire them at the first opportunity. That is how it works in the real world.

We need to make some major changes if we want to get anything done. Picking cabinet ministers is only the tip of the iceberg. There are problems to solve, let Steady Eddy have a shot at addressing those problems. If he doesn't deal with them, then fire him and hire someone to do the job.