Cabinet shuffle should serve Kings-Hants well

It may turn out, as Liberal leader Stephen McNeil said, Premier Rodney MacDonald’s cabinet shuffle last week was just putting new paint on an old car.

But there is potential. The old car had better work, and well. Given the economic climate, which has been unprecedented for at least seven decades, it has to.

The country’s manufacturing sector has taken a harsh beating after a number of years of declining times and consumers appear ready to contract their spending.

This means there will be heavier expenditures on the province as well, as unemployment seeps into the economy and social services are required to step in and help. Revenues from business and individual income taxes can be expected to take a downturn as things tighten.

However, at the same time, the federal government is preparing to go into deficit in order to meet the resulting revenue reductions and expense increases. One of the big expenses anticipated is a massive infrastructure program – a stimulus package, we hope – for roads, structures and environmental technology.

But the infrastructure monies – depending again on the Jan. 27 federal budget – have to be anticipated, requested and put to use to be effective.

Locally, the eastern Annapolis Valley remains well-represented in cabinet and in some economically important portfolios, particularly for Hants and Kings counties and the periods of development in which they find themselves.

As noted by the premier in his Jan. 9 visit to The Hants Journal office, the emphasis is on rural economic development and the eastern Valley is represented to help meet the new economic and other realities.

MacDonald noted Kings North MLA Mark Parent’s local and global experience and its importance to his Labour and Workforce Development and Agriculture portfolios.

Each of these portfolios is paramount to any economic growth in this province.

Kings South MLA David Morse returns to the Environment portfolio. Morse is familiar with the environmental realities of the region, both from his past tenure in the portfolio and from being Natural Resources Minister.

Though Hants County has no cabinet seat, Hants West MLA Chuck Porter is now government caucus chairman. And, as the premier said, those who have held that position are likely to move on to the cabinet table. Even out of cabinet, Porter has been an energetic worker for his constituency. Hopefully, this will expand as his responsibilities increase. As well, former Colchester-East Hants Health Authority chairwoman Karen Casey is the new Health Minister.

Other major cabinet appointments include: Premier MacDonald as Intergovernmental Affairs Minister; Michael Baker, Finance Minister; Cecil Clarke, Justice Minister and Attorney General; Barry Barnet, Energy Minister; Richard Hurlburt, Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations; Chris d'Entremont, Community Services Minister; Carolyn Bolivar-Getson, Natural Resources; Brooke Taylor, Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister; Murray Scott, Economic and Rural Development Minister; Bill Dooks, Tourism, Culture and Heritage Minister; Ronald Chisholm, Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister; and Judy Streatch, Education Minister.

There is a lot of talent in this crew and, for whatever reason the premier shuffled his cabinet, they have to succeed. There is no margin for error.

We can only hope, in this instance, old cars can become a classic.