Alberta Premier Rachel Notley announces six new cabinet posts

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley announced sixnew membersof her cabinet Tuesday morning at a swearing-in ceremony at Government House in Edmonton.

Notley's cabinet now has 19 ministers, up from a dozen when she first formed government last June. The appointments include three Calgary MLAs, which addresses an imbalance that favoured MLAs from Edmonton and northern Alberta.

Sarah Hoffman was sworn in as deputy premier, a new position in Notley's cabinet.

The new ministers sworn in Tuesday are:

• Richard Feehan, minister of Indigenous Relations;
• Christina Gray, minister of Labour and Democratic Renewal;
• Stephanie McLean, minister of Service Alberta and Status of Women;
• Ricardo Miranda, minister of Culture and Tourism;
• Marlin Schmidt, minister of Advanced Education, and;
• Brandy Payne, associate minister of Health

Lori Sigurdson was moved fromAdvanced Education, and Jobs, Skills, Training & Labour and now takes over as minister of Seniors and Housing. Sigurdsonled the jobs portfolio during last fall's disastrous rollout of Bill 6, which angered farmers and ranchers across Alberta.

The cabinet has a few firsts. Miranda, the MLA for Calgary-Cross, is the first openly gay Alberta cabinet minister.

"I know that it's historic in some ways but to me, it's just a reflection of where we've come, how far we've come in this province," he said.

McLean and Payne are both pregnant. Due on Sunday,McLeanwill bethe first Alberta MLA to give birth while in office.Payne is expecting her second childin July.

Notleysaid the two ministers who formerly held the Service Alberta portfolio, Deron Bilous and Danielle Larivee, will step in while McLeanis away. She believes the cabinet will be able to make it work.

"We are going to accommodate that and ensure that we are a place where women can engage fully in the opportunities for leadership that all Albertans want and need to see them adopt," Notley said.

McLeanplansto get briefed on her new portfolio this week. She said she expectsto return to workas soon as she can, but didn't give a timeline.

"I envision perhaps being in the hospital shortly after giving birth on a conference call," she said with a laugh. "It really depends on the situation and circumstances. Having never had a child before, and never having beena cabinet minister before,these are things that we'll just sort of sort out as we go."

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WhenNotleyfirst took office lastJune, the ministers in hercabinet assumedresponsibility for multiple portfolios. She was alsocriticized for having too few MLAs from Calgary andsouthern Albertain her inner circle.

Notley said it was never her intention to keep her cabinet that small over the long term.She said sheneeded to add more cabinet ministersto give them time tomeet with more Albertanson a number of issues.

MLAs make a base salary of $134,000. Ministers earn an additional $67,000 a year.

In October, Lesser Slave Lake MLA Danielle Larivee was made minister of Municipal Affairs and Service Alberta, taking over from Deron Bilous, who was moved to the newly created portfolio of Economic Development and Trade.

The new cabinet ministers come from a variety ofbackgrounds. Miranda is a former flight attendant for Canadian Airlines and Air Canada, which he says should help him with the tourism side of his portfolio. He is fluent in French, in addition to English and his native Spanish.

Schmidt, the MLA for Edmonton-Gold Bar, has served as the government whip since he knocked off PC David Dorward in last May's election. Prior to becoming an MLA, he worked with Alberta Environment as a soil and groundwater contamination specialist.

Payne has a journalism degree and worked in communications. Sheowned and operated ayoga studio prior to the election.

Gray chaired the select special ethics and accountability committee and was deputy chair of the standing committee on public accounts. She worked in software development and consulting prior to the election.

Feehan is a social worker by profession who taught for the University of Calgary's faculty of social work. He was also deputy chair of committees in the Alberta legislature.

McLeanis a lawyer who was the deputy government whip in the legislature.

The new Alberta cabinet looks like this:

• RachelNotley Premier,President of Executive Council
• Sarah HoffmanHealth, deputy premier
• Brian Mason Infrastructure,Transportation, government house leader
• DavidEggen Education
• DeronBilous Economic Development and Trade, deputy government house leader
• JoeCeci Finance,Treasury Board president
• Kathleen Ganley Justice
• Shannon Phillips Environment and Parks, minister Responsible for Climate Change Office
• OneilCarlier Agriculture andForestry
• DanielleLariveeMunicipal Affairs
• MargaretMcCuaig-Boyd Energy
• IrfanSabir Human Services
• LoriSigurdsonSeniors and Housing
• RichardFeehanIndigenous Relations
• Christina GrayLabour and Democratic Renewal
• StephanieMcLeanService Alberta and Status of Women
• RicardoMirandaCulture and Tourism
• Marlin SchmidtAdvanced Education
• Brandy Payneassociate minister of Health