Alberta splits duties of health minister

EDMONTON – Alberta premier Danielle Smith (pictured) has announced an overhaul of several government ministries, creating two new health services portfolios and replacing her Indigenous relations minister. Former health minister Adriana LaGrange has been sworn in as minister of primary and preventative health services, while former jobs minister Matt Jones is in charge of hospital and surgical health services.

Previous Indigenous relations minister Rick Wilson is now minister of mental health and addiction. Jason Nixon, who already had continuing care added to his seniors, social services and housing portfolio, will lead a renamed ministry of assisted living and social services.

Four ministers are now responsible for each of the newly compartmentalized areas of health services, Smith told people assembled at a swearing-in ceremony in Calgary.

“With this team of ministers, we will keep our promises to shorten wait times, improve primary care, ensure Albertans’ needs are being met in the most appropriate setting, and develop an even stronger focus on mental health and addiction supports,” Smith said.

Wilson replaces Dan Williams, who moves to municipal affairs.

Rajan Sawhney will head Indigenous relations, while cabinet newcomer Myles McDougall, who represents the Calgary-Fish Creek constituency, assumes her former portfolio of advanced education.

Smith said the shuffle was needed to fill the vacancy left by former municipal affairs minister Ric McIver, who is taking on the role of Speaker of the assembly.

“Once you move one cabinet minister, you have to start moving a few others,” Smith said last Friday before the swearing-in ceremony with Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakhani.

Nathan Cooper, the former speaker, left the job earlier this week and is stepping down this summer as the MLA for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills to become the province’s new representative in Washington.

The move created a ripple throughout ministries at the same time that Smith’s government is in the midst of major healthcare system restructure and separatist talk has soured Indigenous relations in the province.

Former tourism minister Joseph Schow is taking over the jobs, economy, trade and immigration file from Jones. Schow’s press secretary said he will remain the government’s house leader.

The shuffle puts 27 total people in cabinet, a net increase of two people and more than half of the 47-member United Conservative Party caucus.

Crestview Strategy vice-president Mandi Johnson, who previously worked for the UCP government, expected Smith to trim cabinet in preparation for a possible early provincial election call.

Dividing health duties into four portfolios makes it unclear who’s in charge of the health system, and that may be purposeful, Johnson said.

“That’s probably because the premier is the health minister,” Johnson said. “She cares very much about the health file. She obviously wants things to move faster than they’re moving.”

Given the government’s investment and focus on changing the addictions treatment system, Johnson said moving Wilson into that file demonstrates that he has the premier’s trust.

Smith previously added childcare funding negotiations with the federal government to Jones’ portfolio, and his move into health is a signal that “she wants something back on track,” Johnson said.

Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi, who has previously called for LaGrange to be fired as health minister, called Friday’s changes a demotion for her.

He doesn’t see how splitting up health oversight will improve front-line care, he said.

“If you don’t have a family doctor, if you’re waiting for cancer care, if you have a friend or relative or a loved one who is in trouble with addictions and mental health, or if you have to drive by a closed emergency room to get to one, where you’re waiting 15 hours, nothing announced today will help you,” Nenshi told reporters.

He was also disappointed to see Smith leave Justice Minister Mickey Amery in his portfolio. Amery has acknowledged he is related by marriage and has a friendship with the owner of MHCare, a medical supply company whose relationship with the government is currently the subject of several probes.