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News & Updates
Member Updates
Member Update: Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2004
Klein names new Alberta cabinet,
chief of staff
EDMONTON — Premier Ralph Klein today named a new 24-member
Alberta cabinet that includes cabinet newcomer Luke Ouellette as
Restructuring Minister and Mike Cardinal as Employment Minister,
responsible for labour issues.
Klein also named Rod Love as his chief of staff, a position Love
filled from 1992 to 1998.
Love replaces Steve West, “who will be moving back into the
private sector, effective immediately,” the government said
in a news release.
The premier’s announcement during campaign leading up to the
Nov. 22 election that he intended to create a new Ministry of Restructuring
and Government Efficiency caused concern among many AUPE members.
In his news release today, however, Klein stated that “the
job is not about reductions or cutbacks. It’s about improving
and simplifying, as much as possible, the organization of government.”
Ouellette’s newly created portfolio, the government news release
said, will include responsibility for the Alberta Corporate Service
Centre, which formerly came under Government Services.
Cardinal, who was Minister of Sustainable Resource Development in
the last cabinet, now becomes Minister of Human Resources and Employment,
which includes labour issues, and Minister Responsible for the Personnel
Administration Office, which negotiates agreements with AUPE on
behalf of direct government employees.
Love was Klein's closest adviser for nearly two decades, running
his campaigns for mayor of Calgary, Alberta Conservative leader
and premier.
In addition to the changes in personnel and the new restructuring
ministry, the premier restructured his cabinet by breaking the old
Learning Ministry into two — the Education Ministry and Advanced
Education Ministry.
In addition, the premier combined the old Finance and Revenue portfolios
into a combined Ministry of Finance, and merged the Infrastructure
and Transportation folios into a single Ministry of Infrastructure
and Transportation.
Klein also added responsibility for community supports, including
Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped and Persons with Developmental
Difficulties programs, to the Seniors Ministry, renamed Seniors
and Community Supports.
The new cabinet will be sworn in at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 25, and
will hold its first meeting that afternoon.
The make-up of the new cabinet, with members listed in their order
of precedence, is set out below:
- Ralph Klein (Calgary Elbow) — Premier, President of Executive
Council, Chair of Agenda and Priorities, Vice-Chair of Treasury
Board, Minister responsible for the Public Affairs Bureau.
- Shirley McClellan (Drumheller-Stettler) — Deputy Premier,
Minister of Finance, Chair of Treasury Board, Vice-Chair of Agenda
and Priorities Committee.
- David Hancock (Edmonton-Whitemud) — Minister of Advanced
Education
- Ron Stevens (Calgary Glenmore) — Minister of Justice
and Attorney General
- Iris Evans (Sherwood Park) — Minister of Health and Wellness
- Ed Stelmach (Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville) — Minister
of International and Intergovernmental Relations
- Gene Zwozdesky (Edmonton-Mill Creek) — Minister of Education
- Greg Melchin (Calgary-North West) — Minister of Energy
- Gary Mar (Calgary-Mackay) — Minister of Community Development
- Lyle Oberg (Strathmore-Brooks) — Minister of Infrastructure
and Transportation
- Mike Cardinal (Athabasca-Redwater) — Minister of Human
Resources and Employment, and Minister responsible for Personnel
Administration Office
- Guy Boutilier (Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo) — Minister
of Environment
- Heather Forsyth (Calgary-Fish Creek) — Minister of Children's
Services
- Victor Doerksen (Red Deer-South) — Minister of Innovation
and Science
- David Coutts (Livingstone-Macleod) — Minister of Sustainable
Resource Development
- Pearl Calahasen (Lesser Slave Lake) — Minister of Aboriginal
Affairs and Northern Development
- Ty Lund (Rocky Mountain House) — Minister of Government
Services
- Clint Dunford (Lethbridge West) — Minister of Economic
Development
- Gordon Graydon (Grande Prairie-Wapiti) — Minister of
Gaming
- Rob Renner (Medicine Hat) — Minister of Municipal Affairs
- Luke Ouellette (Innisfail-Sylvan Lake) — Minister of
Restructuring and Government Efficiency
- Harvey Cenaiko (Calgary-Buffalo) — Solicitor General
- Yvonne Fritz (Calgary-Cross) — Minister of Seniors and
Community Supports
- Doug Horner (Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert) — Minister
of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development
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