PEI Premier Dennis King announced changes to his cabinet Friday morning.
The cabinet has two new members: Cornwall-Meadowbank MLA Mark McLain becomes finance minister and Montague-Kilmuir MLA Cory Deagle is transport and infrastructure minister.
James Aylward, who was transport and infrastructure minister, and Brad Trivers, social development and housing, are out of cabinet.
Three ministers changed portfolios:
- Darlene Compton moves from finance to agriculture and land, as well as justice and public safety. She remains deputy prime minister.
- Matthew McKay moves from economic growth, tourism and culture to social development and housing.
- Blois Thompson retires from agriculture and land; justice and public safety for economic growth, tourism and culture.
Four positions remained unchanged:
- Jamie Foxx, Fisheries and Communities.
- Natalie Jameson, Education and Lifelong Learning, Minister for Women.
- Stephen Myers, Environment, Energy and Climate Action.
- Ernie Hudson, Health and Wellness.
King also retains his role as president of the executive council, minister responsible for intergovernmental affairs, Indigenous relations, and Acadian and Francophone affairs.
In his last cabinet reshuffle in February 2021, King’s key moves were to promote Hudson to health and Jameson to education.
“There is nothing new here,” say the Greens
This 2021 reshuffle was King’s only major change in government leadership since his election in 2019.
In February 2020, he made a small change, bringing Natalie Jameson into the cabinet.
I don’t think this rearranging of the chairs around the table will make much difference.— Peter Bevan-Baker
In a news release sent out before the cabinet reshuffle, NDP provincial leader Michelle Neal questioned the need for the cabinet reshuffle.
“Will the cabinet change to fix the crisis of access to family doctors, provide relief for the high cost of living and restore the seed potato industry devastated by potato warts, or will it simply provide a distraction and an escape from responsibility for government departments ?” she said.
Cabinet reshuffles are slowing down government work as ministers get used to their new portfolios, Neill said.
Mark McLain, left, is sworn in as PEI’s new Minister of Finance, and Cory Deagle, right, becomes Minister of Transport and Infrastructure. (Gabriel Drewmon/SRC)
PEI Green Party Leader Peter-Bevan-Baker was more emphatic.
“I don’t think this rearranging of the chairs around the table will make much of a difference,” he said in a statement. “Islanders are looking for real leadership and effective, efficient service delivery. I don’t see anything new here to achieve this. I wish the new ministers every success in their portfolios and look forward to the day when real change happens.”
PEI’s Liberal opposition was more upbeat.
“The announced changes to Prime Minister King’s cabinet have brought about a desperately needed change in the leadership of some departments. The effectiveness of this change remains to be determined,” PEI Liberal interim leader Sonny Gallant said in a media release on Friday.
He pointed to the government’s ongoing challenges with housing, health, childcare and the labor market, and said he feared all of this would get worse before it got better.
“The changes really provide an opportunity to bring new perspectives to the executive board. Especially for the youth of the Island who now have the youngest MLA in the cabinet room,” noted Gallant.
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