Mandryk: Moe assembling a cabinet from post-election scrap wood pile

Article content

Here is Saskatchewan Party Premier Scott Moe’s biggest problem when constructing a new cabinet: a lack of quality material.

We’re not talking about fancy brushed nickel or matte black pull handles or two-way, soft-closing invisible hinges. We’re talking about a need for basic lumber.

Moe must build his new cabinet from the scrap bin cuts every carpenter keeps for unexplained reasons. The lumber yard closed at 8 p.m. on Monday. This is all he’s got.

Article content

Sure there’s new, green stuff that needs to be cured and straightened. But as for the rest of the pieces from the woodpile, some are knotty, a bit warped and may not survive another pass through the planer that’s still needed to straighten them out.

Of the 34 seats Moe’s Sask. Party holds (interestingly, while the governing party failed to win a single NDP-held seat, the NDP gained 13 mostly city seats) only 18 of its victorious candidates were incumbent MLAs.

On Wednesday, David Buckingham’s mere 31-vote lead in Saskatoon Westview flipped to a 37-vote lead for the NDP’s April ChiefCalf, pushing the Opposition’s total to a potential 27 seats.

It’s a flip that likely spares Moe the difficulty of having to seriously consider Buckingham for a cabinet post, after departing Speaker Randy Weekes revealed that Buckingham uttered a racist word within proximity of a Black staff member.

In Prince Albert Northcote, the mail-in vote so far has pushed the Sask. Party’s incumbent MLA Alana Ross’s lead to 143 votes, making the former nurse a likely cabinet prospect.

However, Moe’s big problem is that only 10 of his 18 Sask. Party incumbents heading back to the legislature are current cabinet ministers. The distant hope of mail-in ballots sparing ministers Paul Merriman, Christine Tell, Gene Makowsky and Laura Ross faded rapidly Wednesday.

Article content

Article content

The better news for Moe is that former environment minister Warren Kaeding won his Melville-Saltcoats seat and it looks like one-time Brad Wall minister and former Sask. Party leadership hopeful Ken Cheveldayoff will hang on to Saskatoon Willowgrove as the only Sask. Party MLA in the big cities — presumably making him a shoe-in for cabinet.

Similarly, the 10 remaining cabinet ministers are also likely to be reappointed to cabinet … although we can expect most of them to be shuffled to other portfolios because of new needs or past performances.

Moe will obviously remain the premier and it’s a good bet that Everett Hindley will stay in the tough health portfolio. It might make sense to appoint Alana Ross to a revamped junior health minister portfolio.

It’s a similarly good bet that Jeremy Harrison will remain in economic development, although he is one of only now three government MLAs who went to law school.

But expect Moose Jaw North’s Tim McLeod to fit Moe’s needs for justice minister and attorney-general to patch up strained relations that grew under Bronwyn Eyre.

Article content

Moe’s first critical task will be replacing Donna Harpauer in finance. That job looks like it would go to confidante Jim Reiter — especially with Merriman unlikely to find those magic mail-in votes.

Critical to Moe is finding other pieces that fit  … or fit better. Getting Jeremy Cockrill as far away from education as possible is essential, if Moe truly wants to make good on his election-night attempt to set a new tone.

Cheveldayoff might be the fit he needs for social services, freeing Lori Carr to serve as either energy or Crown corporations minister to deal with the nuclear file. David Marit might have to be moved from agriculture.

From there, it becomes a bit of a scramble to fit the rest of the pieces together.

Incumbents like Travis Keisig and Todd Goudy may be possibilities.

Moe needs more women, so Jaime Martens (Martensville-Blairmore), Sharon Thibault (Humboldt-Watrous), Terri Bromm (Carrot River Valley) and Darlene Rowden (Batoche) will all be considered. Also likely to receive consideration are James Thorsteinson (Cut Knife-Turtleford) and Mike Weger (Weyburn-Bengough) who becomes the third lawyer in caucus.

Article content

But with a substantially downsized, less-experienced and rural-based caucus, it will be tough for Moe to find the pieces to fit.

Mandryk is the political columnist for the Regina Leader-Post and the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

Our websites are your destination for up-to-the-minute Saskatchewan news, so make sure to bookmark thestarphoenix.com and leaderpost.com. For Regina Leader-Post newsletters click here; for Saskatoon StarPhoenix newsletters click here

Article content