Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 31, 2008, Winnipeg, Manitoba C m y k Page a6 a 6 Winnipeg free press Friday october 31, 2008 Cabinet shuffle Winnipeg repress. Com Call 6 9 7 7 0 0 1 1 800 542 8900 Home delivery will be published monday november 10, 2008 As part of our annual remembrance Day tributes to include your in memory ump Contact the Winnipeg free press classified department phone 697 7100 fax 697 7375 e mail of class free press. My. Ca deadline for publication is 12 00 noon tuesday november 4 the health report join Stuart Murray ceo and president of the St. Boniface Hospital & research foundation As he talks with medical experts from the St. Boniface Campus for a weekly Check up on health issues and ground breaking research. Hospital & research foundation a p r o d u c t i o n o f get your annual Check up every sunday at 1 1 0 0 a. M. On promotion partner weave devoted the month of november to your annual Check up guests on the health report this month will be St. Boniface general Hospital doctors from a variety of specialities including influenza sleep disorders Colon cancer and Nephron orgy on air to answer your questions about the health issues that affect your life. Save 10000 s Call Alicia 955 9157 Toyota lexus pm infiniti Nissan Bow lexus pm we do it All All makes bonded licensed professionals references available your special order specialist 1608 St. James St. At Dublin 697 8211, toll free 1 877 697 8211 Mon. & Fri. 10 a. M. 9 p. M. Tues., wed. & thurs. 10 a. M. 6 p. M. Sat. 10 a. M. 6 p. M. Sun. 12 noon 5 p. M. 78% of Winnipeg adults with a household income Over $ 100,000/ year read the Winnipeg free press. O Ottawa Stephen Fletcher was the big Manitoba Winner in thursdays Cabinet shuffle As the thirdterm conservative my was promoted to minister of state for democratic Reform. Fletcher is one of 10 newly appointed Cabinet ministers in prime minister Stephen harpers expanded Federal Cabinet and his promotion gives Manitoba a second seat at the Cabinet table for the first time since 2003. Fletcher joins Vic Toews who remains Treasury Board president and will also retain responsibility As Manitoba ass regional minister. Fletcher 36, was flying High thursday afternoon after the official swearing in ceremony at Rideau Hall. Id Pinch myself if i could joked Fletcher a former geological Engineer and president of the Manitoba progressive conservative party. This is a special experience. Fletcher has been the my for Charleswood St. James Assiniboia since june 2004 and the parliamentary Secretary for health since february 2006. Fletcher is Only the third Winnipeg conservative in history to make it into Cabinet and the first since Gordon Churchill in 1957. A minister of state is considered a Junior minister position but Fletcher will sit at the Cabinet table and be a member of the Treasury Board committee of Cabinet chaired by Toews. The committee is often said to be the Only one that does not rubber stamp decisions. As the minister of state for democratic Reform Fletcher will work directly with Harper on the prime ministers pet projects of Senate and electoral Reform. Harper has been highly critical of the unelected senates ability to hold Back the will of the elected House of commons and has advocated that senators be elected and have eight year term limits. Legislation to do both never made it through parliament in harpers first term in office. Fletcher said thursday he will be working on retooling those Bills for the next legislative session. If it cant be reformed it should be abolished said Fletcher. As a minister Fletcher will get a bigger office and a bigger staff. He will also get a pay raise of about $ 76,000 a year bringing his annual pay including his a pcs salary to Over $ 211,000. Fletcher is appointment to Cabinet was a slight Surprise As his name had been absent from the speculation game in Ottawa. Pundits thought newly elected St. Boniface my Shelly Glover would get the nod As a Reward for knocking off a Liberal stronghold and because she is female bilingual and a police officer. But Harper was looking for experience for the most part in his Cabinet and Fletcher has been in government for More than four years and As a parliamentary Secretary assisted the health minister for almost three years. He is Likely now the next in line to become Manitoba ass regional minister should Toews step aside at any Point. Toews has been Manitoba ass Only Cabinet minister since the conservatives took government in 2006. He was the Justice minister from february 2006 until january 2007, when he was appointed to Treasury Fletcher joins Toews in Cabinet second Manitoban now sits at table by Mia Rabson Steven John Fletcher born june 17, 1972, Rio de Janeiro Brazil. First elected june 28, 2004. Riding Charleswood St. James Assiniboia. Grew up Winnipeg. Education University of Manitoba b. Sc., geological engineering mba. Pre politics geological Engineer president University of Manitoba students Union president progressive conservative party of Manitoba. Noteworthy in 1996, Fletcher was paralysed from the neck Down when his car hit a Moose while he was driving North of Pine Falls. Health officials initially told him he would spend the rest of his life in an institution. Eight years later he became the first person with quadriplegia to be elected to the House of commons and is now the first to be named to Cabinet. Fletcher requires 24 hour attendant care the costs of which Are divided Between Manitoba Public insurance and the Federal government. A biography of Fletcher is life what do you do when you dont die was recently released. I s bigger necessarily better prime minister Stephen Harper unveiled a much bigger broader More gender balanced Cabinet thursday that Over the next four years or so will Likely determine whether the conservatives strike majority Gold in the next Federal election. The new Cabinet reveals a number of intriguing storyline. Harper resisted the temptation to punish the ministers who pretty much begged to be punished with their behaviour prior to and during the Federal election Campaign. One might be tempted to express Shock and Awe that agriculture minister Gerry Ritz is still agriculture minister. Despite authoring perhaps one of the most poorly timed standup comedy routines of All time the Good folks of Rural Saskatchewan Felt compelled to re elect him death by 1,000 cold cuts and All. Major economic portfolios Are stocked with experienced capable ministers. Jim Flaherty continues in finance having recently abandoned his heat of the Campaign pledge to avoid a deficit at All costs in favour of a More measured approach to dealing with the recent economic crisis. A finance minister who can switch gears so quickly and so effortlessly on macroeconomic policy is open minded if nothing else. In Manitoba Vic Toews lives to fight another Day. His attempt last year to quietly retire from politics to the judiciary now a Distant memory Toews retained his position As head of the Treasury Board and Power broker for the province. The big Story Here was that Manitoba got a second Cabinet minister and it a snot St. Boniface my Shelly Glover. Glover had been touted in the morning editions of National newspapers As a shoo in. But when the cars started rolling up to Rideau Hall it was Charleswood St. James Assiniboia my Steven Fletcher who was Secretary of state for democratic Reform. It is a significant Reward for Fletcher who worked diligently behind the scenes to insert himself into Winnipeg specific issues that failed to capture the imagination of the More experienced but often indifferent Toews. Several new and refreshing faces were added to the mix none More intriguing than Nunavut my Leona a Lukkas who left the relative obscurity of provincial politics to vault into the health portfolio. And yet despite this stunning storyline there will be Many women and men who support women in politics who will be underwhelmed by thursdays Cabinet appointments. In the last parliament seven of 31 ministers or about 23 per cent of the Cabinet were women. Now there Are 11 women among the 38 ministers giving the new Cabinet 29 per cent female representation. When Harper says he is a fan of incremental Progress he clearly Means it. Of course analysing the gender balance or the personalities or the geographic representation of a Cabinet is All Good and Fine but it Isnit the real Story of this Cabinet. The real Story Here is whether Harper will allow his ministers to assist in the governing of the country. A Cabinet is an important expression of the tone and style of a Federal government. Harpers cabinets have clearly demonstrated the prime ministers need to control All aspects of governing. Not Only was it Clear the ministers had Little influence on policy but often they we rent even allowed to answer questions posed to them in question period. As for the Media most political reporters would have suffocated if they had held their breath waiting for an interview request to be granted. The prime minister now has a bigger Cabinet that could be better than the last one. In fact it could signal the conservatives Are growing into a party that really wants to govern for All regions and All canadians. However Harper will have to let these ministers Roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty perhaps even interact with the Public and the Media. Otherwise All he has done is expanded the cast of extras that will fill out his photo opportunities. Dan. Lett free press. My. Ca winners Leona a Lukkas former health minister in Nunavut becomes first inuit appointed to a Federal Cabinet As health minister. Gail Shea Prince Edward islands first tory my in almost 25 years gets the fisheries Post. Lisa Raitt former president and ceo of Toronto port authority appointed natural resources minister. Jason Kenney former Junior minister appointed citizenship and immigration minister. James Moore elevated to heritage from Junior ministry. Peter Van loan former government House Leader now Public safety minister. Peter Kent former broadcaster appointed minister of state for foreign affairs. Losers Maxime Bernier resigned the foreign affairs Job after leaving classified documents at his former lovers apartment left out in spite of winning the largest plurality of any government member in Quebec. Gordon Oconnor former defence minister then Revenue minister now minister of state without portfolio and government whip. Diane Ablonczy one time Star my stays in Junior portfolio. Gary Lunn former natural resources minister now minister of state for sport. A bigger Cabinet for Harper to keep muzzled Dan Lett Adrian Wyld / the Canadian press Steven Fletcher signs papers after being sworn in during a ceremony thursday. A _ 06_ oct 31 08. Ind a6 1 0/ 30/ 08 9 34 46 pm ;