Faurschou gives new cabinet a thumbs down
Posted By Rob Swystun, The Daily Graphic
Posted 22 days ago
The new cabinet of the Manitoba government is not receiving an enthusiastic thumbs-up from everyone.
Progressive Conservative MLA for Portage la Prairie David Faurshou called Selinger's 19-member cabinet "bloated" and said it would only add to the bureaucracy the NDP is known for.
"The first thing that struck me is the enormity of the cabinet," Faurschou said.
The cabinet need not be any more than 17, the MLA noted, and there should be more people named as legislative assistants to help with the administrative work.
In Selinger's cabinet, six people were named as legislative assistants: Rob Altemeyer, housing and community development, and conservation; Greg Dewar, finance; Tom Nevakshonoff, conservation; Mohinder Saran, premier's office; Erin Selby, family services, consumer affairs, and culture, heritage and tourism; and Drew Caldwell, premier's office.
"Every cabinet minister requires a significant amount of bureaucratic support and administrative support," Faurschou pointed out.
He would like to see one minister and three legislative assistants appointed to the health-care portfolio, the MLA said, as it alone takes up 40 per cent of the province's budget and commands that kind of attention.
Faurschou was the legislative assistant for rural development, now known as intergovernmental affairs, in 1998.
rswystun@cpheraldleader.com
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