| Cabinet shuffle positive; MLA |
 |
 |
 |
| Local Content - Local News |
| Written by Trevor Busch |
| Wednesday, 03 February 2010 16:12 |
|
In Stelmach’s recent cabinet shuffle, the premier has opted for a revamped team to revitalize the province’s sagging fortunes. As part of that strategy, Jack Hayden, MLA for Drumheller-Stettler, has replaced former minister George Groeneveld in the important agriculture portfolio. Groeneveld, who represents the Highwood constituency, was not included in the new Alberta Conservative cabinet. Cardston-Taber-Warner MLA and parliamentary assistant for agriculture, Broyce Jacobs, is looking forward to working with Hayden, someone whom he has worked with in the past. “Jack’s a good rural guy. He knows rural Alberta really well. He’s a guy that’s approachable and listens well. I’m going to enjoy working with him. We’ve known each other for a quite a while in our areas. Jack’s a former president of the AAMD&C (Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties) so when I was a reeve and a director of AAMD&C, I worked with him. I look forward to working with him, he’ll be fine.” Hayden, himself a farmer, comes to the agriculture portfolio by way of the infrastructure ministry, to which he was appointed minister in March 2008. Hayden has served two terms as an MLA representing Drumheller-Stettler. Jacobs pointed to some tough decisions during his tenure on the part of former minister Groeneveld, as well as a desire for a fresh start, as the reasoning behind the premier’s decision to replace him with Hayden. “I think the former minister had been there two to three years, and I think the premier just felt that it was time to make a move in agriculture. He made some other moves also in some other portfolios. George has had some tough things to do, and to get them done he probably made some people a little bit upset. So, I think the premier just felt like he needed to make a change there.” Jacobs confirmed there will be changes upcoming in the future as a result of the ministerial shift in agriculture, but could not speculate on what those changes will be. “It’s still a little bit early. I know I’ve had a couple of meetings with Jack. I think Jack wants to mitigate some of the concerns that are out there, and to show people we’re listening and that agriculture is important. I think the premier wants him demonstrate the importance of agriculture in rural Alberta to our government. I think he’ll be doing things that are well received. I know some things are going to change, but I can’t really comment about it because it’s not official yet. I think he’ll be a minister who’ll be approachable, and who will listen to the people and try to mend some fences as well.” Jacobs applauded the premier’s move to shake up cabinet and bring some backbench talent into the mix to try to help solve Alberta’s fiscal problems, as well as offer a fresh perspective on controversial ministries. “I actually think premiers should shuffle and change cabinet positions every couple of years. For one thing, I don’t think the only smart people are on the front bench. There’s also some bright, capable people in the back bench. I think there’s some talent there, and it’s good to utilize that talent also, and I think there was a couple of portfolios, health and energy for example, that the ministers had been embattled. I know in health, Minister (Gene) Zwozdesky has been out there with a much softer message, and in my opinion is doing a good job of stressing fundamentals and making sure that the things we do are more responsive to the people. I can’t say much about energy yet, it remains to be seen just where we’ll be going with that one, but I have been quite impressed with the work of Minister Zwozdesky so far. Health is a tough portfolio and Minister Liepert definitely had some constraints he had to go forward with, and some of those had to be done. The media distorted the message somewhat, and I just think it’s good to have another minister in health now that can listen, and go forward with a more politically-acceptable message.” |