Danielle Smith names new cabinet

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has announced her new cabinet, which will see some familiar faces shift portfolios and others return to the ministerial spotlight in the footsteps of their former colleagues voted out of the house last month.

“I am so pleased to have this team working with me to deliver on the promises we made to Albertans during the election,” Smith said in a release Friday. “These are not just our government’s priorities, they are Albertans’ priorities. The next four years start today, and I can’t wait to get back to work with each of my cabinet colleagues.”

Several crucial portfolios were left without an incumbent after six former ministers lost their jobs — including Jason Copping in health and Tyler Shandro in justice.

Also left open were finance, environment, social services, and mental health and addiction.

The new cabinet has 25 members, a decrease from the 27 appointed by Smith after her leadership race victory in October.

At a ceremony in Edmonton Friday, Smith chose Mike Ellis to return to public safety and emergency services while also taking on the role of deputy premier.

Nate Horner is stepping into the shoes of Travis Toews, moving from agriculture to finance minister and president of the treasury board.

Nathan Neudorf is now minister of affordability, utilities and vice chair of the treasury board, while Ric McIver returns to municipal affairs, a position he held under former Premier Jason Kenney.

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Morinville-St.Albert MLA Dale Nally will tackle service Alberta and red tape reduction, alongside Pete Guthrie in infrastructure and Todd Loewen in forestry and parks.

Brian Jean, who ran against Smith for leadership of the UCP following the departure of Kenney, will serve as minister of energy and minerals, a position held in the past by Tanya Fir.

Fir now holds the position of minister of arts, culture, and status of women.

Highwood MLA RJ Sigurdson will replace Horner as minister of agriculture and irrigation, while Mickey Amery will replace Shandro in the justice department.

Adriana LaGrange moves from education to health and Demetrios Nicolaides will take over her old position. Rajan Sawhney has been named to advanced education.

Past deputy government whip Dan Williams is now minister of mental health and addiction, while Jason Nixon is minister of seniors, community and social services.

Calgary-Shaw MLA Rebecca Schulz, who also ran against Smith for leadership, has been chosen as the minister of environment and protected areas, while Joseph Schow has been named as minister of tourism and sport and will reprise his role of house leader.

Matt Jones has been appointed to the ministry of jobs, economy, and trade, while Devin Dreeshen will take the transportation and economic corridors.

Children and family services was awarded to Searle Turton by Smith, while Muhammad Yaseen will cover immigration and multi-culturalism.

To round out the group, Rick Wilson will serve as minister of Indigenous relations.

NDP reaction

The NDP responded to Smith’s announcement by saying they’ll hold the cabinet to account, before expressing some concerns they have with some positions that were appointed.

“I am deeply disappointed in many of the decisions announced today by Danielle Smith,” Alberta NDP Deputy Leader Sarah Hoffman said. “Her 25-member cabinet includes just five women, it includes just three racialized Albertans, and what I find particularly startling is, not a single newly elected MLA is in cabinet.

“This is a government that lost a significant number of seats in the election, that lost the popular vote in both Calgary and Edmonton, and the exact same characters are continuing to call the shots.”

Hoffman added former Education Minister LaGrange is moving onto health, “a critical area of the government that has been left completely in crisis, after spending four years as Education Minister, where she completely neglected Alberta’s K-12 schools.”

The NDP also went on to note Nicolaides previously “hiked the cost of tuition on students and devastated Alberta’s post-secondary schools.”

There’s no Labour minister. No housing minister. No minister with a clear responsibility for fighting climate change and I could go on and on,” said Hoffman.

The NDP were also critical on the fact the Premier reappointed the Indigenous Relations Minister Rick Wilson, after he “completely failing to consult with indigenous leaders on the job-killing, Treaty Rights-violating Sovereignty Act.”

Lastly the NDP noted Jason Nixon, “who completely neglected Alberta’s Eastern Slopes and tried to sell off the province’s parks rather than care for them should now be responsible for caring for seniors and the most vulnerable Albertans as the Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services.”

Full cabinet

The United Conservative Party won 49 seats in last month’s election, down from the 63 captured in 2019.

The Opposition NDP swept all 20 seats in Edmonton and won just over half the constituencies in Calgary.

• Premier and Minister of Intergovernmental Relations – Danielle Smith
• Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services – Mike Ellis
• Minister of Advanced Education – Rajan Sawhney
• Minister of Affordability and Utilities and Vice-chair of Treasury Board – Nathan Neudorf
• Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation – RJ Sigurdson
• Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women – Tanya Fir
• Minister of Children and Family Services – Searle Turton
• Minister of Education – Demetrios Nicolaides
• Minister of Energy and Minerals – Brian Jean
• Minister of Environment and Protected Areas – Rebecca Schulz
• Ministry of Forestry and Parks – Todd Loewen
• Minister of Health – Adriana LaGrange
• Minister of Immigration and Multiculturalism – Muhammad Yaseen
• Minister of Indigenous Relations – Rick Wilson
• Minister of Infrastructure – Pete Guthrie
• Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade – Matt Jones
• Minister of Justice – Mickey Amery
• Minister of Mental Health and Addiction – Dan Williams
• Minister of Municipal Affairs – Ric McIver
• Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services – Jason Nixon
• Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction – Dale Nally
• Minister of Technology and Innovation – Nate Glubish
• Minister of Tourism and Sport – Joseph Schow
• Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors – Devin Dreeshen
• President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance – Nate Horner
• Chief whip – Shane Getson
• House leader – Joseph Schow

-With files from Cole Fortner, CityNews