ANNAPOLIS ROYAL, N.S. – New Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil revealed the members of his inaugural cabinet Tuesday in the Annapolis Valley.
McNeil was sworn in as the province’s 28th premier in a ceremony at a theatre in Annapolis Royal after winning a large majority government earlier this month.
The Liberal cabinet will have 15 members — plus McNeil — up from 12 under former NDP Premier Darrell Dexter. Among the members, six are newly elected politicians and five are women.
Former party leadership candidate Diana Whalen was sworn in as deputy premier and as finance minister, while Andrew Younger is the new energy minister. Lena Diab will be the province’s first female attorney general and justice minister.
Tony Ince, who defeated Dexter by a margin of only 21 votes, will serve as the minister communities, culture and heritage, and African Nova Scotian affairs.
Here is the full breakdown of the new cabinet positions :
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- Diana Whalen – deputy president of the executive council / minister of finance and treasury board
- Keith Colwell – minister of agriculture / minister of fisheries and aquaculture
- Michel Samson – minister of economic and rural development and tourism / minister of Acadian affairs
- Leo Glavine – minister of health and wellness / minister for seniors
- Karen Casey – minister of education and early childhood development / minister responsible for youth
- Kelly Regan – minister of labour and advanced education, minister responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women
- Andrew Younger – minister of energy / minister of Communications Nova Scotia
- Geoff MacLellan – minister of transportation and infrastructure renewal
- Zach Churchill – minister of natural resources
- Randy Delorey – minister of environment / minister of Gaelic affairs
- Tony Ince – minister of communities, culture and heritage / minister of African Nova Scotian affairs
- Joanne Bernard – minister of community services
- Lena Diab – attorney general and minister of Justice / provincial secretary / minister of immigration
- Labi Kousoulis – minister of public service commission / minister of information management / minister of voluntary sector
- Mark Furey – minister of Service Nova Scotia and municipal relations
“The task before us will have its challenges, but I am eager to begin work — to build strong families and stronger businesses from one end of Nova Scotia to the other,” McNeil said in a press release.
The new government published details of each cabinet member’s portfolio on the Nova Scotia Legislature website after the announcement Tuesday morning.
The swearing in ceremony of the new Nova Scotia government took place outside of Halifax for the first time in at least 59 years.
Government spokesman Brian Taylor says officials at the legislative library went back as far as 1954 and could not find another instance of the ceremony happening outside of Halifax.
The Liberals won 33 of the 51 seats in the legislature after the Oct. 8 election.
The Progressive Conservatives won 11 and the NDP held on to seven seats.
With files from Mayya Assouad and The Canadian Press
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