SASKATOON — Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck said on Thursday, Dec. 11, she was not surprised by the cabinet reshuffle made by Premier Scott Moe, adding that it will take more than revamping the government to bring the change people in the province deserve.
Two of the significant changes include David Marit replacing Daryl Harrison as agriculture minister, and Tim McLeod no longer leading the Corrections, Policing and Public Safety portfolio. That ministry is now the Ministry of Community Safety, headed by Weyburn-Bengough MLA Michael Weger.
“There was an announcement today [Thursday] from the premier that he had shuffled the cabinet. Frankly, at this point, after 18 years, it's going to take more than a cabinet shuffle to get the change and the results that people deserve in this province,” said Beck.
“There were a lot of names on that list. I am not that concerned with the internal workings of Moe’s cabinet at this point. I am concerned about actually delivering better on health-care affordability and better management of the finances in this province.”
She added that the opposition believes that even if Moe revamps his cabinet again in the spring or next fall, the results will remain the same, arguing the government lacks the right team to offer solutions for Saskatchewan residents and get the province back on track.
“He can shuffle chairs on the Titanic all he wants, but the reality is that, after 18 years, this is a government that is out of ideas. That their terrible decisions and planning are coming home to roost,” Beck added.
“Regardless of who the ministers are in any of these portfolios, we've got a team that is focused not on that minister, but on the people impacted by those portfolios. [We] are going to continue to bring those concerns forward and make those ministers accountable.”
She said the opposition will continue working on behalf of Saskatchewan residents and push to put the province on a better track than the challenges people are facing now, whether in agriculture, education, or fiscal accountability.
“This is a team that's focused on what leaders … should be focused on, and that is ensuring that we are running government efficiently, that we are actually trying to make improvements in the lives of people of this province, and that's what we're going to continue to focus on,” said Beck.
