Holt leans on Saint John, Moncton-area MLAs in her N.B. cabinet picks

CBC

1 November 2024 at 1:22 pm·3-min read

Susan Holt, pictured with her new Liberal caucus at their first gathering last week. (Ed Hunter/CBC - image credit)

Premier-designate Susan Holt has unveiled her list of cabinet ministers one day before they are to be sworn in to form a new Liberal government.

Holt has tapped two-term Bathurst MLA René Legacy for a major role, naming him deputy premier, minister of finance and the treasury board, and minister of energy, according to a statement released Friday morning.

As was widely expected, Dr. John Dornan, the former Horizon Health CEO and newly elected member for Saint John-Portland-Simonds, will be minister of health, in charge of implementing major commitments that were at the heart of the Liberal election campaign.

Other newcomers in the greater Saint John area — where the Liberals won a majority of seats in the election — include Saint John Harbour MLA David Hickey as housing minister, Rothesay MLA Alyson Townsend as minister of post-secondary education, training and labour, and Quispamsis MLA Aaron Kennedy as minister of local government.

Susan Holt is pictured at the first in-person meeting of the new Liberal caucus. Several of the elected MLAs will be sworn in as members of the executive council on Saturday.

Holt unveiled a list of ministers on the eve of her government's swearing-in. She is seen here with her new Liberal team at a recent event. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)

Hampton-Fundy-St. Martins MLA John Herron is also in cabinet as minister of natural resources.

The new cabinet will be sworn in during a ceremony at the legislature Saturday at 2 p.m.

All MLAs elected from all parties on Oct. 21 will take their oaths earlier in the day, at 11 a.m.

Including Holt, six of the 19 ministers will be women.

Besides Holt and Townsend, they are: Education Minister Claire Johnson; Social Development Minister Cindy Miles; Tourism, Heritage and Culture Minister Isabelle Thériault; and Minister for Seniors and Women's Equality Lyne Chantal Boudreau.

Holt had a large number of Moncton-area MLAs to choose from.

René Legacy, the Liberal MLA for Bathurst West-Beresford, says N.B.Power should at least consider companies outside the province when shopping for small modular nuclear reactors.

Holt has tapped two-term Bathurst MLA René Legacy for a major role, naming him deputy premier, minister of finance and the treasury board, and minister of energy. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)

In addition to Johnson and Boudreau, Rob McKee will become minister of justice and attorney general and will also have cabinet responsibility for addictions and mental health.

And Robert Gauvin, a former Progressive Conservative minister who quit the Higgs government and ran against Holt for the Liberal leadership, becomes minister of public safety and minister for La Francophonie.

The following newly-announced executive council members are pictured here, from left, clockwise, John Dornan, Claire Johnson, Keith Chiasson, Cindy Miles, Isabelle Thériault, Aaron Kennedy, Gilles LePage, Chuck Chiasson, Robert Gauvin, Alyson Townsend, John Herron, Pat Finnigan, Luke Randall, David Hickey, Jean-Claude D’Amours and Lyne Chantal Boudreau.

Newly announced executive council members include, clockwise from upper left: John Dornan, Claire Johnson, Keith Chiasson, Cindy Miles, Isabelle Thériault, Aaron Kennedy, Gilles LePage, Chuck Chiasson, Robert Gauvin, Alyson Townsend, John Herron, Pat Finnigan, Luke Randall, David Hickey, Jean-Claude D’Amours and Lyne Chantal Boudreau. (CBC)

Other ministers include:

Chuck Chiasson as minister of transportation and infrastructure.
Keith Chiasson as minister of indigenous affairs.
Luke Randall as minister of economic development and minister responsible for Opportunities New Brunswick, N.B. Liquor and Cannabis N.B.
Gilles Le Page as minister of environment and climate change, and for the Regional Development Corporation.
Pat Finnigan as minister of agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries.
Jean-Claude D'Amours as minister of intergovernmental affairs and minister responsible for immigration.

Holt announced five other Liberal MLAs will hold key roles in the legislature.

Rob McKee will be sworn in as Minister of Justice, Attorney General and the minister responsible for addictions and mental health services.

Rob McKee will become minister of justice and attorney-general and will also have cabinet responsibility for addictions and mental health. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)

She said her caucus will vote for Madawaska Les Lacs-Edmundston MLA Francine Landry to become Speaker in an election by all MLAs.

Veteran Liberals Guy Arseneault and Benoît Bourque will be deputy speakers.

Belle-Baie-Belledune MLA Marco LeBlanc will manage the government's legislative agenda as government house leader and Shediac-Cap-Acadie MLA Jacques LeBlanc will be the government whip.

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