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Bell: Danielle Smith rolls out inner circle, it's Kumbaya — for nowOpinion by Rick Bell - TODAY
Right off the hop, Premier Danielle Smith rolls out her inner circle.
Danielle Smith wins the UCP leadership race at an event at the BMO Centre in Calgary on Thursday, October 6, 2022. Smith unveiled her new cabinet Friday; the new ministers will be sworn in Monday.© Provided by Calgary Sun
What’s this? Kaycee Madu is a deputy premier, Smith’s number two.
This is an impressive handle for Madu if he ever decides to phone the Edmonton top cop about traffic tickets .
There’s a guy named Nathan Neudorf and he’s a deputy premier, too.
He’s the number two number two.
What’s this? Tyler Shandro is the justice minister, the province’s top lawman.
As you know, Shandro was very tight with Jason Kenney, one of three people in the former premier’s inner inner circle, so close to the big man they were known as The Boy Band.
Interesting to see how this works with Smith’s thin-skinned supporters.
The pro-vaccine passport, pro-COVID restrictions and not-so-nice-to-jailed-pastors Shandro will now quarterback a law prohibiting any discrimination against the unvaccinated .
Someone must have seen the light.
Then again, you have to applaud what had to be Smith’s easiest decision.
That is, dumping The Other Jason, Jason Nixon, lead singer in Kenney’s Boy Band, a masterful screwup.
Don’t worry. His bro Jeremy Nixon is the minister of seniors and social supports.
And speaking of The Boy Band trio, mild-mannered Travis Toews, who almost became premier, remains budget boss.
He’ll be sticking around just in case things get really hairy and the UCP has to pull the fire alarm before the provincial election this coming May.
Kudos to Todd Loewen, now the forestry, parks and tourism boss, a guy who stood up in his belief Kenney was the wrong man for the job when so many others complained but did the square root of squat.
Obviously, Loewen will remove the fee to go to Kananaskis Country and make Pay Country into K-Country once again.
Kudos to Pete Guthrie, who carved out a reputation as a straight shooter. He will head up the energy file.
Brian Jean is the jobs and economy point man, the former Wildrose leader and now a Fort McMurray member of the legislature will also tackle development in northern Alberta.
Jean was tough on Smith in the UCP leadership race.
Jean says it was never personal but, as Wildrose leader, he did have to clean up the mess after Smith joined the PCs.
During the leadership race, he said Smith was a great storyteller.
Jean and three other leadership candidates attacked Smith’s No. 1 brainwave.
Jean pointed to the “fairy tale” and “snake oil” of the Sovereignty Act, where the province could refuse to enforce Ottawa’s laws if the feds muscle in on the rights of Alberta or individual Albertans and could defy the courts if the judges ruled against them.
“After the fantasy is over and we’ve had our bedtime story, our fairy tale, then what?”
The fantasy is over. Jean is now backing the Sovereignty Act.
It’s a new and presumably improved Sovereignty Act.
Jean says the new and presumably improved Sovereignty Act will respect the rule of law.
If Canada’s top court says Alberta is on the short end of the stick when challenging a particular federal law, this province WILL NOT tell the court to take a hike.
But he adds it will still be very effective.
“Just the fact we force an issue all the way to the Supreme Court will achieve a lot. It sends a political message that can’t be ignored.
“Even if we lose at the court there’s a lot of ways to show our displeasure while being respectful of the law. Sometimes the fighting itself leads to rewards.”
Brian Jean speaks to the media after being sworn in as an MLA on April 7, 2022, at the Alberta legislature in Edmonton.© Ed Kaiser
Then, there’s Smith’s no-COVID-restrictions-ever pledge.
During the campaign, Jean wouldn’t commit to no restrictions ever.
He can now.
“There’s nothing more important than individual freedom,” he says.
What’s this? Jason Copping, Alberta’s health head honcho, won’t rule out future COVID restrictions.
Can’t you people get on the same page here?
Speaking of Smith’s less-than-impressive early days as premier, Jean compares it to a hockey season.
“We got out on the ice and we started slapping the puck around and we tried a couple exhibition games and they were a bit shaky,” says Jean.
“We went into the locker-room and we talked. And now Game 1 is on Monday.”
A year ago, at the last UCP hoedown, Jean showed up and wanted Kenney gone.
He thought, with Kenney at the helm, the UCP would certainly lose the next election.
Jean got a lot of the evil eye from UCP members, to say nothing of nasty comments whispered and shouted to him and at him.
The man shrugs it off.
“Truth to power, my friend. Truth to power.”
Now, Kenney is gone and Jean is upbeat.
“I feel good. We have a new hope we might actually win against the NDP.”
The jury in the court of public opinion will deliberate for seven months.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announces new cabinet, keeping several key Kenney ministers
The only leadership rival who didn't make it back into cabinet was Chestermere-Strathmore MLA Leela Aheer
Author of the article: Lisa Johnson
Publishing date: Oct 21, 2022 •
Premier Danielle Smith speaks at the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce
luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022, at the Edmonton Convention Centre.
PHOTO BY GREG SOUTHAM /Postmedia
Article content
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is keeping several familiar faces who served under former premier Jason Kenney in her new cabinet announced Friday, while shuffling out a key member of Kenney’s inner circle.
Those keeping their seat at the table include Travis Toews in finance, Adriana LaGrange in education, Jason Copping in health, and Tyler Shandro in justice.
Jason Nixon, former environment and parks minister and then finance minister during Toew’s run for the leadership, will be relegated to the backbench.
With 27 ministers or ministers without portfolios including Smith, only five in cabinet are women. It was announced via news release, and Smith is not expected to take questions from reporters until Monday after members are formally sworn in at 11 a.m.
Speaking to alternative right-wing media organization the Western Standard Friday, Smith said she wanted to express confidence in Toews.
“It was a really close leadership race, and I think that the fact that people were struggling to make a choice between he and I … shows that they want him in a senior role,” said Smith, referring to the final ballot in which she won 54 per cent and Toews took 46 per cent.
Article content
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is keeping several familiar faces who served under former premier Jason Kenney in her new cabinet announced Friday, while shuffling out a key member of Kenney’s inner circle.
Those keeping their seat at the table include Travis Toews in finance, Adriana LaGrange in education, Jason Copping in health, and Tyler Shandro in justice.
Jason Nixon, former environment and parks minister and then finance minister during Toew’s run for the leadership, will be relegated to the backbench.
With 27 ministers or ministers without portfolios including Smith, only five in cabinet are women. It was announced via news release, and Smith is not expected to take questions from reporters until Monday after members are formally sworn in at 11 a.m.
Speaking to alternative right-wing media organization the Western Standard Friday, Smith said she wanted to express confidence in Toews.
“It was a really close leadership race, and I think that the fact that people were struggling to make a choice between he and I … shows that they want him in a senior role,” said Smith, referring to the final ballot in which she won 54 per cent and Toews took 46 per cent.
Smith also said, as she prepares for a major revamp of the health-care system, that “Jason Copping’s up for the job.”
Most leadership rivals, campaign supporters get posts
Among those who also ran against Smith for leadership, former children’s services minister Rebecca Schulz will be in charge of municipal affairs, Rajan Sawhney will take over trade, immigration and multiculturalism, and Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche MLA Brian Jean will be the minister in charge of jobs, economy, and northern development. Recently welcomed back into UCP caucus, Central Peace-Notley MLA Todd Loewen will head forestry, parks, and tourism.
The only leadership rival who didn’t make it back into cabinet was Chestermere-Strathmore MLA Leela Aheer.
Smith told the Western Standard she wanted to demonstrate that she respected the role leadership candidates played in “raising bold issues.”
Meanwhile, Kenney’s long-time energy minister Sonya Savage has been shuffled to head an environment and protected areas ministry.
Demetrios Nicolaides will stay in advanced education and Kaycee Madu, who supported Smith in her leadership bid, will head a new skilled trades and professions ministry.
Madu will serve as one of two deputy premiers, along with Lethbridge-East MLA Nathan Neudorf, who is also being promoted to infrastructure minister.
Along with Madu, several MLAs who publicly supported Smith’s campaign are also getting seats at the table, including former mental health and addiction associate minister Mike Ellis, who will take over a new portfolio of public safety.
Nate Glubish, formerly in charge of Service Alberta, will take over a new technology and innovation portfolio.
Airdrie-Cochrane MLA Peter Guthrie will become Alberta’s new energy minister, and Innisfail-Sylvan Lake MLA Devin Dreeshen will become the transportation and economic corridors minister. Dreeshen had previously resigned his cabinet position in agriculture and forestry after allegations of alcohol use in his office.
Out of the fold are former municipal affairs minister Ric McIver, former seniors and housing minister Josephine Pon, former transportation minister Prasad Panda, former culture minister Ron Orr, and former environment and parks minister Whitney Issik.
When asked by Western Standard why they and Nixon were shuffled out, Smith said some still need to resolve issues in their own ridings.
“There are a number of cabinet ministers who are seen to really be the hand of the former premier on a lot of files that caused our party a lot of problems,” said Smith.
Still ‘Kenney’s central cabinet’: political scientist
University of Calgary political scientist Lisa Young told Postmedia the limited number of women in cabinet is “striking,” and she was surprised key roles like education and health were given to ministers appointed by Kenney.
“There’s certainly changes around the outside, and in some of the more junior roles, but for those critical central roles, she has not changed anything from Kenney’s cabinet,” said Young, adding that the restructuring of ministries, including adding irrigation to the agriculture ministry’s title, is mostly about sending a signal about Smith’s priorities.
Young said while Smith will need to rely on the experience that several ministers have had in government, the premier’s choice of who to give an interview to on Friday was notable.
“Elevating the Western Standard — which is not an established journalistic undertaking — to this role, is sending a signal to her supporters that she hasn’t changed even though she has appointed Jason Kenney’s central cabinet,” said Young.
With the associate ministry of natural gas and electricity nixed, former associate minister Dale Nally will serve as the Service Alberta and red tape reduction minister.
Madu’s former labour and immigration ministry has also been abolished, as has the seniors and housing ministry.
Calgary-Klein MLA Jeremy Nixon will take over a new seniors, community and social services ministry.
No longer an associate ministry, status of women will fall to Tanya Fir as a parliamentary secretary.
Mental health and addictions will be its own ministry headed by Nicholas Milliken.
lijohnson@postmedia.com
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Calgary MLAs to maintain representation in Danielle Smith's cabinet
Dylan Short -
Minister of Justice and Solicitor General and Calgary MLA Tyler Shandro is to keep his job in cabinet, Premier Danielle Smith announced Friday.© Provided by Calgary Herald
Calgary will continue to be well represented — albeit with a mix of familiar and new faces — at the provincial cabinet table after Premier Danielle Smith announced her slate of ministers Friday.
Tyler Shandro, Jason Copping and Demetrios Nicolaides will keep their respective portfolios in Justice, Health and Advanced Education respectively, three of a dozen ministers from Calgary ridings. Joining them will be Mike Ellis in the newly created Department of Public Safety, while Sonya Savage will shift from Energy to Environment and Protected Areas. Nicholas Milliken, who received a cabinet position for the first time earlier this year, will become minister of Mental Health and Addictions, which appears to be upgraded from an associate minister position.
Jason Luan is to become minister of Culture while Jeremy Nixon will be appointed minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services. Rajan Sawhney (Trade, Immigration and Multiculturalism) and Rebecca Schulz (Municipal Affairs) will return to cabinet after vacating their positions to run against Smith in the UCP leadership race, and Matt Jones will head the newly created Department of Affordability and Utilities. Mickey Amery will be the minister of Children’s Services.
Amery will be a deputy house leader, while Devinder Toor, Muhammed Yassen and Tanya Fir will take on parliamentary secretary roles.
“ I am thrilled to be working with this strong, determined, united group of MLAs. Alberta’s future is bright — but there’s a lot of work to be done,” said Smith. “Our team will work every day to gain your trust, make bold changes and continue to build the most innovative, entrepreneurial and welcoming province in the world.”
Some familiar faces from the Calgary area will be shuffled out of cabinet when it is formally sworn in Monday, including Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver and Status of Women associate minister Whitney Issik. Josephine Pon, minister of Seniors and Housing, and Infrastructure Minister Prasad Panda are also to exit cabinet.
Former premier Jason Kenney will not serve in cabinet.
Smith’s cabinet features nearly every contestant she faced in the UCP leadership race, with Travis Toews (Finance) and Brian Jean (Jobs) also receiving roles. Leela Aheer, who dropped off the first ballot, was not given a seat at the table
Danielle Smith sworn in as Alberta's 19th premier
The newest group of ministers is a mix of urban and rural, with MLAs from each geographical region of the province. Smith had previously signalled that she would have a team comprising more of a rural element than in the past.
Kaycee Madu, who represents a riding in Edmonton, will be one of two deputy premiers.
Lori Williams, a political scientist at Mount Royal University, said it was surprising to see so many ministers from Calgary ridings considering past comments Smith has made about on not needing widespread support from the province’s largest municipalities and that she would focus more on rural areas. Williams said many of the Calgary appointments could be seen as Smith looking to shore up support in several ridings.
She pointed to Milliken, Toor and Copping all winning their seats by slim margins in the previous provincial election.
“The fact that those folks are in cabinet sort of indicates that (Smith’s) trying to win those seats,” said Williams. “It just looks to me like she’s trying to put people in cabinet in places where she thinks she might be vulnerable, might give her a better chance of winning in the next election.”
Speaking during a livestream Friday, Smith said several members will be shuffled out of cabinet as they have contested nominations in their local ridings they need to focus on. She said others are losing their seats next week as they were too closely tied to Kenney on unpopular decisions.
“There are a number of cabinet ministers who are seen to really be the hand of the former premier on a lot of files that cause our party a lot of problems,” said Smith. “If people are out, it’s not out forever, I’ve told them that, but it is take a back seat for a bit. They’ll rebuild some relationships, work on some files.”
Williams also noted that Smith has kept five members of Kenney’s cabinet in higher roles — Shandro, Copping, Nicolaides, Toews and Adriana LaGrange in education. She also noted that the cabinet is larger with 39 members, when including parliamentary secretaries that will assist with various portfolios.
She also noted there are four women holding ministerial positions.
Calgary MLAs to maintain representation in Danielle Smith's cabinet
Dylan Short -
Minister of Justice and Solicitor General and Calgary MLA Tyler Shandro is to keep his job in cabinet, Premier Danielle Smith announced Friday.© Provided by Calgary Herald
Calgary will continue to be well represented — albeit with a mix of familiar and new faces — at the provincial cabinet table after Premier Danielle Smith announced her slate of ministers Friday.
Tyler Shandro, Jason Copping and Demetrios Nicolaides will keep their respective portfolios in Justice, Health and Advanced Education respectively, three of a dozen ministers from Calgary ridings. Joining them will be Mike Ellis in the newly created Department of Public Safety, while Sonya Savage will shift from Energy to Environment and Protected Areas. Nicholas Milliken, who received a cabinet position for the first time earlier this year, will become minister of Mental Health and Addictions, which appears to be upgraded from an associate minister position.
Jason Luan is to become minister of Culture while Jeremy Nixon will be appointed minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services. Rajan Sawhney (Trade, Immigration and Multiculturalism) and Rebecca Schulz (Municipal Affairs) will return to cabinet after vacating their positions to run against Smith in the UCP leadership race, and Matt Jones will head the newly created Department of Affordability and Utilities. Mickey Amery will be the minister of Children’s Services.
Amery will be a deputy house leader, while Devinder Toor, Muhammed Yassen and Tanya Fir will take on parliamentary secretary roles.
“ I am thrilled to be working with this strong, determined, united group of MLAs. Alberta’s future is bright — but there’s a lot of work to be done,” said Smith. “Our team will work every day to gain your trust, make bold changes and continue to build the most innovative, entrepreneurial and welcoming province in the world.”
Some familiar faces from the Calgary area will be shuffled out of cabinet when it is formally sworn in Monday, including Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver and Status of Women associate minister Whitney Issik. Josephine Pon, minister of Seniors and Housing, and Infrastructure Minister Prasad Panda are also to exit cabinet.
Former premier Jason Kenney will not serve in cabinet.
Smith’s cabinet features nearly every contestant she faced in the UCP leadership race, with Travis Toews (Finance) and Brian Jean (Jobs) also receiving roles. Leela Aheer, who dropped off the first ballot, was not given a seat at the table
Danielle Smith sworn in as Alberta's 19th premier
The newest group of ministers is a mix of urban and rural, with MLAs from each geographical region of the province. Smith had previously signalled that she would have a team comprising more of a rural element than in the past.
Kaycee Madu, who represents a riding in Edmonton, will be one of two deputy premiers.
Lori Williams, a political scientist at Mount Royal University, said it was surprising to see so many ministers from Calgary ridings considering past comments Smith has made about on not needing widespread support from the province’s largest municipalities and that she would focus more on rural areas. Williams said many of the Calgary appointments could be seen as Smith looking to shore up support in several ridings.
She pointed to Milliken, Toor and Copping all winning their seats by slim margins in the previous provincial election.
“The fact that those folks are in cabinet sort of indicates that (Smith’s) trying to win those seats,” said Williams. “It just looks to me like she’s trying to put people in cabinet in places where she thinks she might be vulnerable, might give her a better chance of winning in the next election.”
Speaking during a livestream Friday, Smith said several members will be shuffled out of cabinet as they have contested nominations in their local ridings they need to focus on. She said others are losing their seats next week as they were too closely tied to Kenney on unpopular decisions.
“There are a number of cabinet ministers who are seen to really be the hand of the former premier on a lot of files that cause our party a lot of problems,” said Smith. “If people are out, it’s not out forever, I’ve told them that, but it is take a back seat for a bit. They’ll rebuild some relationships, work on some files.”
Williams also noted that Smith has kept five members of Kenney’s cabinet in higher roles — Shandro, Copping, Nicolaides, Toews and Adriana LaGrange in education. She also noted that the cabinet is larger with 39 members, when including parliamentary secretaries that will assist with various portfolios.
She also noted there are four women holding ministerial positions.
Calgary MLAs to maintain representation in Danielle Smith's cabinet
© Provided by Calgary Herald
dshort@postmedia.com
dshort@postmedia.com
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