Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew is shuffling his cabinet just over a year after his government was sworn in, splitting one ministry, creating new departments and swapping ministers among portfolios.
The provincial government is welcoming three MLAs to cabinet, among them Mintu Sandhu, who is joining as the minister of delivery of public services.
The portfolio, formerly known as the consumer protection and government services ministry, was previously under MLA Lisa Naylor, who will continue as minister of transportation and insfrastructure.
Another new face in cabinet is MLA Nellie Kennedy, who takes over from Glen Simard as minister of sport, culture, heritage and tourism.
Simard is assuming the Municipal and Northern Relations portfolio, while staying on as minister of francophone affairs and the minister responsible for Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries.
The province is also creating a Department of Innovation and New Technology, which will be led by MLA Mike Moroz.
The new department will work to help expand Manitoba’s tech industry, while also looking at modernizing government services and improve customer experience, the province said in a news release.
“To the new ministers and to everyone on the team, we are here to put the people first,” Kinew said at the swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday.
“We have a countervailing responsibility to ensure that each of us is doing our utmost to deliver … to ensure that each young Manitoban is able to reach their full potential.”
The government is breaking up the Ministry of Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Natural Resources into two separate portfolios.
One of them, the Ministry of Business, Mining, Trades and Job Creation, will be led by MLA Jamie Moses, who had served as minister for the previous portfolio.
MLA Ian Bushie is swapping Municipal and Northern Relations for the new Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures Ministry.
MLA Nello Altomare, who temporarily stepped down from his role as education and early childhood learning minister in October for medical reasons, will remain in cabinet.
Meanwhile, Tracy Schmidt will continue as acting ministry for that portfolio while continuing on her role as environment and climate change minister.
At the swearing-in ceremony, Kinew highlighted the diversity of cabinet, saying different communities and the next generation of Manitobans can feel represented.
“A year ago, these things were groundbreaking. One year into our our provincial government’s administration, that’s just how it is in Manitoba.”
Kinew said the government will continue to work on fixing the woes at the health-care system and tackling affordability, while ensuring Manitoba lives up to its commitment to reconciliation.
“It’s the best of the best, serving the people of Manitoba as we more equitably draw from each corner and each region and each segment,” he said.
“To me, that is the power of our democracy.”
The province is also appointing six MLAs as new legislative assistants to different ministries.
Mike Moyes has been appointed legislative assistant for the Ministry of Education and Childhood Learning, Jelynn Dela Cruz for the Ministry of Health, Seniors and Long-term Care, Jasdeep Devgan for the Ministry of Finance, Robert Loiselle for the Ministry of Municipal and Northern Relations, Diljeet Brar for the Ministry of Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism and Eric Redhead for the Ministry for Indigenous Reconciliation, which is led by Kinew.