Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister has moved his health minister as part of a cabinet shuffle that will see the inner circle grow by three members.
Cameron Friesen is being moved from health to justice, and is being replaced by two ministers who will split health duties.
Heather Stefanson moves from the families portfolio to become minister of health and seniors care., and Audrey Gordon moves up from the backbenches to the new cabinet post of minister for mental health, wellness and recovery.
The shuffle comes after recent opinion polls have suggested that support for the governing Tories has dropped sharply.
Manitoba was hit hard by the pandemic’s second wave and, for much of the fall, led all other provinces in per-capita infection rates.
Two other backbenchers who are being promoted to cabinet are Derek Johnson, minister for municipal relations, and Wayne Ewasko, minister for advanced education, skills and immigration.
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A few current ministers are also switching jobs.
Kelvin Goertzen moves from education to a new portfolio called legislative and public affairs.
Cliff Cullen moves from justice to education.
The number of cabinet ministers rises to 18 from 15.
Pallister hinted at the shuffle last month in a year-end interview with The Canadian Press, in which he said potential changes include adding a second health minister to help address the COVID-19 pandemic.
The shuffle comes after recent opinion polls have suggested that support for the governing Tories has dropped sharply.
Manitoba was hit hard by the pandemic’s second wave and, for much of the fall, led all other provinces in per-capita infection rates.
Testing capacity and contact tracing initially failed to keep up with demand as case numbers spiked. Long-term care homes were hit by outbreaks and the number of deaths rose exponentially.
In November, Health Minister Cameron Friesen accused doctors of causing chaos after 200 physicians and other scientists wrote a letter to the premier that said the health-care system was being overwhelmed.
Since then, Friesen has been less visible. Pallister, not Friesen, has held most of the news conferences on the government’s pandemic response, along with the province’s chief public health officer.
Pallister won a second consecutive majority mandate in 2019 and the next provincial election is slated for October 2023.
Manitoba had two health ministers under the former NDP government. One was dedicated to seniors and promoting healthy living.
In Ontario, one of two health ministers is dedicated to long-term care.
In British Columbia, one is focused on mental health and addictions.
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