Cabinet Analysis - October 25, 2022
Last week, Premier Danielle Smith announced her new cabinet which restructured portfolios and blended several ministries. The 24-person cabinet will be supported by 11 parliamentary secretaries and was formally sworn in on Monday at Government House.
Though the cabinet shifts to amplify the voices of 12 rural MLAs, it also highlights Smith’s effort to maintain caucus unity with several senior ministers from the Kenney era remaining in place.
Government Reorganization
Premier Smith campaigned on the idea of transformational change — and her shake-up of ministerial portfolios reflects this.
One of the most notable developments is Matt Jones’ role as the Minister of Affordability and Utilities - a nod towards the how key the issue of affordability will manifest in the upcoming election. Mike Ellis will take over a new portfolio of Public Safety which includes the functions formerly under the Solicitor General portfolio and will include the drive to establish a provincial police force. Red Tape Reduction has been merged with Service Alberta, and Technology and Innovation is now a standalone ministry. Natural Gas is no longer an individual portfolio and is included in the Affordability and Utilities files.
The Status of Women ministry has been abolished, while Labour and Housing functions will be absorbed Into the Jobs, Economy and Northern Development and Seniors, Community and Social Services portfolios respectively. Other notable highlights include Sonya Savage making headlines as Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, and Pete Guthrie becoming Minister of Energy.
Staying In Place
Smith’s cabinet includes familiar faces from Kenney’s administration, balancing newcomers with seasoned ministers. Finance Minister Travis Toews, Health Minister Jason Copping, Justice Minister Tyler Shandro, and Education Minister Adriana LaGrange all return to their previous posts. Maintaining unity in the party will be essential for the UCP moving forward, and in collaborating with Kenney’s core inner circle, Smith may be extending an olive branch.
NDP Tacks to the Centre
The NDP unveiled their new logo at their convention this weekend, which sports a colour palette of traditional NDP orange and a touch of conservative blue. This may represent the NDP’s recent shift towards the center, as Notley emphasizes economic issues to swing progressive conservatives from the UCP fold.
In her speech to party members on Saturday, Notley addressed her plan to combat the high cost of living across the province. Her affordability platform includes capping electricity rates, increases to auto insurance rates, and on increases to post-secondary tuition fees. Her economic platform she shared would focus on diversification within oil and gas but also in emerging industries like geothermal, hydrogen, innovation and tech.
Next Steps
Despite this flurry of activity, the jury is still out on the overall direction of the UCP under Premier Smith. For now, the cracks in the UCP caucus appear to have been papered over, but whether these repairs will hold long term remains to be seen. The upcoming Speech from the Throne will tell us if the UCP will be chasing mainstream voters ahead of next spring’s general election, or if they will stay focused on the Premier’s largely rural base of support from the leadership race. The Throne Speech will serve as the government’s legislative roadmap and outline its priorities for the six months leading up to the 2023 election. The next round of public opinion research will no doubt play a key role in determining these priorities.
The new ministers, deputy ministers and supporting staff will be taking their time this week to move into their new offices and receive briefings. Mandate letters for each ministry are expected to be released in the coming weeks which will provide more insight into the priorities set for each minister. New West will be in touch with individual clients to adjust to these changes.