Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall shuffled his cabinet Aug. 30 after five ministers stepped down to run to replace him.
Wall will resign after the Sask-atchewan Party leadership convention Jan. 27.
The cabinet now includes six ministers who retained their current positions, five current ministers who changed portfolios, and five new members, four of them first-time ministers.
Agriculture minister Lyle Stewart retained his ministry and Sask. Crop Insurance responsibilities, as did David Marit in highways and infrastructure. Jim Reiter and Greg Ottenbreit remain ministers of health, and rural and remote health, respectively.
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Christine Tell stays at central services and Joe Hargrave remains at Crown Investment Corporation.
The most notable change was moving Donna Harpauer from government relations to finance. She replaced Kevin Doherty, who moved to advanced education.
Doherty said he had asked to be moved out of finance and even offered to leave cabinet to give someone else an opportunity.
He said he pondered taking a run at the party leadership but ultimately decided he didn’t want the job.
Other re-assigned ministers are: deputy premier Don Morgan, who moves from education to justice; Bronwyn Eyre, from advanced education to education; and, Dustin Duncan from energy to environment.
Nancy Heppner returns to cabinet in the energy portfolio.
First-time ministers are Paul Merriman at social services, Steven Bonk in economy, Larry Doke at government relations and First Nations, and Gene Makowsky at parks, culture and sport.
Other appointments include naming Greg Brkich as government house leader and Warren Kaeding as legislative secretary to the SaskTel minister Hargrave, with responsibility for cellular and internet coverage. Kaeding is already a secretary to Stewart for irrigation expansion.
Cabinet ministers who resigned were Tina Beaudry-Mellor, who had been in social services, Jeremy Harrison, economy, Gord Wyant, justice, Ken Cheveldayoff, parks, and Scott Moe, environment.
Senior civil servant Alanna Koch also took a leave from her job as deputy minister to the premier to seek the party leadership.
