The province officially has a new premier. Iain Rankin became the 29th premier of Nova Scotia Tuesday.
Rankin and 16 of his caucus colleagues were sworn-in to their cabinet posts by Lt. Governor Arthur J. LeBlanc.
The event, held at the Halifax Convention Centre began with a smudging ceremony conducted by Queens County residents Todd and Melissa Labrador.
In addition to his responsibilities as premier of the province, Rankin will also serve as president of the Executive Council and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Regulatory Affairs and Service Effectiveness. He is Minister of the Department of L'Nu Affairs, formally the Office of Aboriginal Affairs among others.
Deputy Premier Kelly Regan will maintain her role as minister of Community Services with responsibility for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women. She also takes on the Department of Seniors.
Rankin’s opponents to become Liberal leader Labi Kousoulis and Randy Delorey will also feature prominently in his new cabinet. Kousoulis will assume the position of Minister of Finance and Treasury Board and Minister of Inclusive Economic Growth, which is the new name for the Department of Business.
Former Health Minister Delorey is now Attorney General and Minister of Justice and minister of Labour Relations.
Former Education Minister Zach Churchill will now assume the health portfolio.
Derek Mombourquette is the new minister of Education and Early Childhood Development and Chuck Porter is now minister of Lands and Forestry and Energy and Mines.
There will be some new faces around the cabinet table as well as Kings South MLA Keith Irving was appointed minister of Environment and Climate Change. Ben Jessome, the MLA for Hammonds Plains-Lucasville, becomes minister of the Public Service Commission, and Brendan Maguire, MLA for Halifax Atlantic, takes over at Municipal Affairs.
Premier Rankin used his first public opportunity to rally Nova Scotians to build a better province.
“All of you, not just the women and men that are serving in cabinet today have a role in building our future. Whether a union member, a business owner, a volunteer, retiree, still working, any age, you are part of building that future. It’s not just government. This is your province. This is your opportunity. This is our time to break through in Nova Scotia, so let’s get to work.”
Reported by Ed Halverson
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson
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