Mandryk: Moe rolls dice in cabinet shuffle where everyone changes jobs

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While any cabinet shuffle is a bit of a roll of the dice, this seemed an especially chancy one for Premier Scott Moe, coming just 10 days after the election.

Moe gave the dice a big shake and rolled them. Nobody is yelling “Yahtzee” after Thursday’s cabinet shuffle.
Then again, there may be some hope of building on this roll in the future.

The real message Moe wanted to deliver on Thursday — more than downsizing the cabinet to 16 members or reassigning every cabinet member to a new job as a symbol of starting anew — is that his Saskatchewan Party government has been humbled.

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In that regard, Moe backed down from his “No. 1 priority” of change room policies in schools, now saying the issue will be addressed by his new education minister consulting the province’s 27 soon-to-be-elected school boards to ensure each has a policy supportive of “every child in every classroom across the province.”

“When I indicated (the change room policy) was going to be the first order of business, I misspoke,” Moe told reporters. “I responded without proper thought … There’s a tone that needs to change. That starts with me.”

Moe said he won’t “preclude where those discussions will land” but when you examine “what is logical and practical … I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of difference.”

With Regina Civic Action Awareness Network (RCAAN) candidates in the running, this could yet turn into a fiasco, but it may be more difficult for a rogue board or individual trustee to impose their moral will on public education if they know they aren’t backed by a government eager to use the notwithstanding clause to validate human rights violations.

Unfortunately, not all of Moe’s messages on Thursday were as humble … or all that logical.

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It did make sense to appoint longest-serving member Jim Reiter to deputy premier and finance minister with side hustles in labour relations, workplace safety, immigration and career training.

Less sensible was the health and education switcheroo of Everett Hindley and Jeremy Cockrill.

Promoting Cockrill to health is a strange way of saying you’re sorry. Moreover, his past crass interactions with real people brought to the rotunda means he quite likely will get hammered on the floor of the legislature by a larger, more effective NDP caucus.

But Moe did have to get Cockrill away from the teachers, and Hindley hadn’t made many friends among nurses. Health is seeing a further downgrade, with Tim McLeod moving to justice and attorney general and his old job of mental health and addictions, seniors and rural and remote health given to Lori Carr. Carr wasn’t exactly perceived as sympathetic in a previous tenure in social services, which now goes to Terry Jenson.

But the simple reality is Moe needed McLeod in justice — not just because he is one of the few lawyers in caucus, but also because Moe needed to send a message of humility to the judiciary and legal community that his Sask. Party government won’t be as cavalier about breaking laws or using this office to send political messages.

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Really, these choices are a testimonial to both the plethora of problems Moe faces and the lack of sensible solutions.

Moving have-gun-will-travel Jeremy Harrison out of trade and investment and (especially keeping him away from Government House leader duties that went to McLeod) wisely sent a humbling message to both the public and Harrison.

It also best utilizes a veteran’s skill set, which Moe generally did by overloading veteran ministers and easing new ministers like Alana Ross (parks, culture and sports and the status of women), Daryl Harrison (agriculture), Travis Keisig (environment) and the winner of Nadine Wilson’s Saskatchewan Rivers seat, Eric Schmalz, (government relations, First Nations, Metis and northern affairs) into their jobs.

Moe likely could have better utilized Ken Cheveldayoff’s experience in something heavier than advanced education. And humbling Cockrill might sent a better message.

But when you are an old government, about all you can do is roll the dice and hope.

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

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