Cabinet expansion will save money: Dexter
Posted Jan 12, 2011 05:30:48 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Premier Darrell Dexter says his decision to add two new cabinet ministers to the executive council is part of an ongoing effort to cut costs and shrink government.
The NDP government’s first shuffle comes 19 months after the premier fulfilled a campaign promise by shrinking the cabinet from 18 to 12 shortly after taking power.
But Dexter says with many tough financial decisions ahead for the cash-strapped government, the time has come to spread the responsibilities.
Dexter has created the new department of Communities, Culture and Heritage and named MLA Dave Wilson as minister. House Speaker Charlie Parker becomes the Energy Minister and minister of natural resources.
Several other ministers have been named to new posts, or had responsibilities adjusted in the shuffle.
Dexter says even with two new cabinet ministers, the whole exercise will end up saving money because a department has been eliminated and government will be more streamlined heading into difficult budgeting work.
“This will more adequately distribute the workload and allow us to get on with what is going to be some tough months in terms of getting us back to balance,” he told a crowd at Province House on Tuesday.
In a release, PC party leader Jamie Baillie criticized Dexter for expanding cabinet before balancing the provincial budget.
