WINNIPEG – Premier Greg Selinger had to turn to a less-experienced team of ministers to replace those who quit in a dispute over his leadership Monday. Two of the ministers brought into those portfolios are newcomers to cabinet, two have limited cabinet experience, one was a minister in the Gary Doer era.
Greg Dewar
Minister of finance
Minister responsible for the civil service
Minister charged with the administration of the Crown Corporations Public Review and Accountability Act
Dewar, MLA for Selkirk, has been an MLA since 1990 and sat on the back benches the whole time, though he most recently was legislative assistant to the minister of finance. He oversees a $12.1-billion budget, and will have his hands full eliminating the $522-million deficit by 2016 as promised by Greg Selinger. Some observers suspect Selinger, a former finance minister, will wield much influence over his rookie minister.
Sharon Blady
Minister of health
Blady, the MLA for Kirkfield Park in Winnipeg, was first elected in 2007 and served in a junior portfolio as minister of healthy living before moving up to minister of health – which has the largest budget of any department in the provincial government at $5.2 billion a year but has struggled unsuccessfully to shorten emergency room wait times.
James Allum
Minister of justice and attorney general
Minister responsible for constitutional affairs
Minister charged with the administration of the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation Act
Allum was the minister of education but is still a relative newcomer to cabinet. He was first elected in 2011 as the MLA for Fort Garry-Riverview.
Kevin Chief
Minister of jobs and the economy
Minister responsible for the City of Winnipeg
A rising star in the Selinger government, Chief is also relatively new to government. He was first elected in 2011 as the MLA for Point Douglas. He’s been the minister of children and youth opportunities.
Drew Caldwell
Minister of municipal government
Caldwell was first elected as MLA for Brandon East and served as minister of education and training, and family services and housing in Gary Doer’s NDP government. He was dropped from cabinet in 2003 for health reasons and has been a backbencher since.
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