Moose Jaw North MLA Tim McLeod has been named to the provincial government’s cabinet with a new portfolio.
Premier Scott Moe announced his cabinet on Thursday with McLeod being named the Minister of Justice and Attorney General and the Minister of Corrections and Public Safety McLeod was also named the Government House Leader.
Previously, McLeod served as the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Seniors and Rural and Remote Health, the Provincial Secretary and Legislative Secretary to the Premier.
McLeod was first elected as the MLA of Moose Jaw North in 2020.
Long-time Wood River MLA David Marit was also named as the Minister of Highways and Minister of SaskBuilds and Procurement.
Marit was initially named the Minister of Highways and Infrastructure in 2016 as well as the Minister responsible for SaskBuilds and Priority Saskatchewan.
He would then become the Minister of Agriculture, Minister responsible for Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation and Minister responsible for the Water Security Agency in 2018.
Four ministers are entering the cabinet for the first time including Alana Ross (Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport, Minister responsible for the Status of Women, Tourism Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority), Daryl Harrison (Minister of Agriculture), Travis Kesig (Minister of Environment), and Eric Schmalz (Minister of Government Relations, Minister responsible for First Nations, Metis and Northern Affairs).
NDP leader Carla Beck released the following statement about the cabinet appointments:
I wish to welcome Premier Scott Moe’s new cabinet and wish them luck with their ministerial responsibilities.
This great province needs real change to get us out of last place on healthcare and make life more affordable.
Despite this, the Sask. Party has no plan to provide cost-of-living relief until at least 2026, if ever.
The Sask. Party’s platform makes no new investments in hospitals or healthcare workers — in fact, their current budget would lead to cuts in healthcare.
I am deeply troubled about Scott Moe’s choice for Minister of Health. Relations between teachers and the government hit an all-time low when Jeremy Cockrill was the Minister of Education. Saskatchewan already has the worst rates of healthcare worker retention in Canada, and Cockrill’s confrontational style will make a bad situation worse.
We can’t afford to lose even more doctors and nurses out of the province. Our friends and family already face the longest emergency room and surgical wait times in Canada.
My team of Saskatchewan NDP MLAs will hold our first in-person caucus meeting tomorrow to discuss how we can push this cabinet for real change on healthcare and the cost of living. We’re ready to get to work on what matters most to the people of Saskatchewan.