Susan Holt reveals her first cabinet as N.B. premier, most are rookies

Premier-designate Susan Holt announced her 19-person cabinet Friday, ahead of a swearing-in ceremony on Saturday, which contains a number of new faces.

The cabinet includes just two members with previous cabinet experience and 10 first-time MLAs.

Headlining the list of front-bench rookies is former Horizon Health CEO Dr. John Dornan, who will serve as minister of health. University professor Claire Johnson received the education and early childhood development role, while Cindy Miles, who narrowly won her Hanwell-New Maryland seat, will take on social development.

The rookies are joined by others who have yet to serve in cabinet but stickhandled big critic portfolios during the Liberals’ time in opposition. Bathurst MLA Rene Legacy will be named deputy premier and after spending years as finance critic will now take over as minister of finance. He will also handle the government’s energy policy.

Rob McKee served as Holt’s health critic and “QP sherpa” but will now take over as attorney general and minister of justice, while also handling mental health and addictions.

A swearing-in ceremony for cabinet and all 49 MLAs is scheduled for Saturday in Fredericton. A spokesperson for Holt said she would not be available to media on Friday to talk about her new cabinet, but would be available following the ceremony on Saturday.

The list also includes a handful of MLAs from the party’s breakthrough in Saint John and the Kennebecasis Valley. Former PC MP John Herron will take on natural resources and Alyson Townsend will be responsible for post-secondary education, training and labour.

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Another pair from the region have been given priority portfolios, with former Saint John councillor David Hickey taking on the New Brunswick Housing Corporation and Aaron Kennedy, who defeated former premier Blaine Higgs in Quispamsis, will deal with local government and Service New Brunswick, as the party has promised a complete overhaul of the property tax system and long-awaited fiscal reform for municipalities.

The only two MLAs with experience in cabinet are Robert Gauvin, who will serve as public safety minister and served in Higgs’ cabinet before resigning over proposed changes to rural hospitals, and Gilles Lepage, who served in the Gallant cabinet and will take on the climate change portfolio.

Others with cabinet experience have been given prominent roles elsewhere. Francine Landry will become the first francophone woman to be speaker of the legislative assembly. Benoit Bourque and Guy Arseneault will serve as deputy speakers.

One of the government’s youngest MLAs, Marco Leblanc, will be government house leader and Jacques Leblanc will serve as whip.

Here is the full list:

• Susan Holt – premier, president of the executive council, minister responsible for official languagest
• René Legacy – deputy premier, minister of finance and Treasury Board, minister responsible for energy, minister responsible for the Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act
• Rob McKee – minister of justice, attorney general, minister responsible for addictions and mental health services
• John Dornan – minister of health
• Claire Johnson – minister of education and early childhood development
• Keith Chiasson – minister of Indigenous affairs
• Cindy Miles – minister of social development, minister responsible for the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation
• Chuck Chiasson – minister of transportation and infrastructure
• Gilles LePage – minister of environment and climate change, minister responsible for the Regional Development Corporation
• Aaron Kennedy – minister of local government, minister responsible for Service New Brunswick
• Isabelle Thériault – minister of tourism, heritage and culture
• Robert Gauvin – minister of public safety, minister responsible for la Francophonie
• Alyson Townsend – minister of post-secondary education, training and labour, minister responsible for the Research and Productivity Council, minister responsible for the Regulatory Accountability and Reporting Act
• John Herron – minister of natural resources
• Pat Finnigan – minister of agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries
• Lyne Chantal Boudreau – minister responsible for seniors, minister responsible for women’s equality
• Jean-Claude D’Amours – minister of intergovernmental affairs, minister responsible for immigration, minister responsible for military affairs
• David Hickey – minister responsible for the New Brunswick Housing Corporation
• Luke Randall – minister responsible for Opportunities NB, minister responsible for economic development and small business, minister responsible for NB Liquor and Cannabis NB