YORKTON - Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has announced his new cabinet.
Well, that’s not exactly accurate. This edition of cabinet is very much just a re-shuffle of what was in place pre-election. There are a bunch of ministers sporting new portfolios, but there are few truly new faces at the table – and after 17 years that is unfortunate.
This particular group better have put forward every good idea they have after so many years at the controls. The hope for new ideas was in the newly elected MLAs – the ones that might have ideas not yet tossed around the cabinet table. Sadly, Moe chose the same deck, with a shuffle.
Now it is to be granted that the Sask Party numbers in rural Saskatchewan suggest there is absolutely nothing wrong, and the Sask Party has gotten everything absolutely right through the years. Any concerns with pock-marked highways, rural crime, access to doctors and emergency rooms and other suggested issues were unfounded. Rural Sask is giddy in its support of all things Sask Party.
But, it does leave some interesting placements in cabinet.
Daryl Harrison, the MLA for Cannington in the province’s southeast, takes over from David Marit as Minister of Agriculture.
Certainly in his home riding Harrison is well-liked. He was re-elected in October with nearly 74 per cent of the popular vote in his constituency – which is a resounding victory.
But, does that make Harrison a good candidate for the ag portfolio – one which you might expect almost every rural riding MLA to have at least some level of understanding.
It is interesting in a producer.com story pointed out Harrison was someone “who spent 30 years in the oil industry and also raised cattle,” almost like cattle were secondary.
Of course in most portfolios the minister is simply the face of things, the one who answers questions for sure, but not without an office filled with knowledgeable staff providing background and support.
And, in the case of agriculture it may matter even less who carries the banner. After health care and education, and debt servicing is accounted for the budget dollars left to everything else the provincial government is responsible for is rather limited.
Even then one might suggest portfolios from social services to highways draw more government interest than agriculture these days, the Sask Party support base being rural Saskatchewan notwithstanding.
So for Harrison to shine in his new role he needs to be a louder voice at the cabinet table, raising the stature of the portfolio in terms of government investment given agriculture is still a massive economic driver in the province. That is where his legacy in the portfolio lies.
