Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 31, 2008, Winnipeg, Manitoba C m y k Page a7 Winnipeg repress. Com Cabinet shuffle Winnipeg free press Friday october 31, 2008 a 7 Cabinet ministers by province b. C. 5 sask. 2 Manitoba 2 p. E. I. 1 n. B. 2 n. S. 1 Alberta 6 Nunavut 1 Ontario 13 Quebec 5 Stephen Harper Rona Ambrose Diane Ablonczy Jim Prentice Jason Kenney Robert Nicholson Marjory Lebreton Diane Finley Bev Oda John Baird Tony Clement Gordon Oconnor Helena Gergis Gary Goodyear Peter Kent Jim Flaherty Jean Pierre Blackburn Lawrence Cannon Josee Verner Christian Paradis Gregory Thompson Keith Ashfield Denis Lebel Peter Van loan Lisa Raitt Stockwell Day Gary Lunn Jay Hill James Moore Rob Merrifield Gerry Ritz Lynne Yelich Leona a Lukkas Gail Shea Vic Toews Steven Fletcher Chuck Strahl Peter Mackay there Are 38 ministers including prime minister Stephen Harper in the new Federal Cabinet. A breakdown of the number of ministers by province the conservative government has no maps in Newfoundland and Labrador Indian affairs and Northern development International Trade government House Leader labour state Small business and tourism environment citizenship and immigration state transport state democratic Reform prime minister Canadian heritage state sport agriculture and agr food health Justice International co operation finance veterans affairs defence state Atlantic Canada fisheries and oceans state government whip state status of women state science and technology transport Industry Public safety Public works state Quebec state seniors human resources natural resources National Revenue intergovernmental affairs foreign affairs president of Treasury Board state foreign affairs state Western economic diversification the Canadian press o Ottawa conservative brass were painfully aware of the main criticisms levelled against their last Cabinet it was incompetent testosterone filled and caustic. Prime minister Stephen Harper took Steps thursday to meet those criticisms As he presented a larger ministerial team. The new 37 member conservative Cabinet will have More experience More women and a House Leader with a More gentlemanly reputation than his hyper partisan predecessor. With a huge Batch of newly elected tories from which to pick Harper elevated three Rookie female maps to major ministries health natural resources and fisheries. Solid performers were sent to prize portfolios Stockwell Day to International Trade John Baird to transport Tony Clement to Industry Jason Kenney to immigration and James Moore to heritage. Jim Prentice whose competence earned him a reputation As or. Fix it was sent from Industry to the less prestigious environment Slot. Prentices move was cast As an Effort to ensure economic stability in the face of new climate change regulations for Industry. He keeps his influential spot As chairman of the Cabinet operations committee. Peter Van loan a fiery House Leader who thrilled colleagues with his frequent Finger jabbing diatribes against the liberals moves to Public safety. Government insiders say his replacement by the less partisan Jay Hill is in keeping with harpers desire to strike a More convivial tone in the next parliament. Only 10 ministers will keep their portfolios. Finance minister Jim Flaherty is among them As the government seeks stability in the face of a global economic storm. The prime minister cited the Economy As he explained Why he kept Flaherty at finance and Why he shuffled Prentice a move some puzzled conservatives interpreted As a demotion. We have tried to move some of our strongest ministers into key economic portfolios Harper said. As More and More countries Are coming to realize we cannot separate environmental and economic policy. We have to consider these things in balance. Although harpers ministry was expanded by six spots there still a snot enough room to keep All the incumbents Happy. Poor performance was punished. The new lineup failed to impress the liberals. They noted that Harper kept in place a finance minister Flaherty who inherited a $ 12 billion surplus who appears set to turn that into a deficit and who seemed eager to pick fights with the Ontario government. And they questioned the appropriateness of Harper boosting the size of his Cabinet. The Canadian press pm shuffles deck to answer critics More inclusive less partisan group of maps by Alexander Panetta agriculture minister Gerry Ritz stayed on his Post during thursdays Cabinet shuffle despite a mid election crisis Over comments he made during the listeria outbreak before the Campaign. In the second week of the election it was revealed Ritz had made a tasteless joke during a conference Call with scientists and political staffers about the deadly Strain of bacteria that ended up killing at least 20 people. He called the political fallout from the Maple Leaf foods meat like a death by a thousand cuts. Or should i say cold cuts. Later when told of another possible death from the bacteria in Prince Edward Island he said he hoped it was Liberal agriculture critic Wayne easter. R Itz apologized for the remarks on sept. 18 but opposition parties and family members of some of the victims of the bacteria demanded Ritz be fired. Winnipeg nip my Pat Martin said he thinks keeping Ritz on in agriculture is a bad sign for the Canadian wheat Board. I take this As a very Strong signal and a very bad signal that Stephen Harper a snot lightened up on his aggression towards the Canadian wheat Board said Martin. Ism very disappointed and very surprised that he left Gerry Ritz in that portfolio partly because of the wheat Board and partly because of the atrocious Cavalier comments regarding the listeria crisis. Up / staff Ritz survives Flap Over listeria jokes a _ 07_ oct 31 08. Ind a7 1 0/ 30/ 08 10 01 14 pm ;