Roach, McIsaac out in P.E.I. cabinet shuffle

P.E.I. Premier Wade MacLauchlan announced a major cabinet shuffle Wednesday.

Finance Minister Allen Roach and Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Alan McIsaac are out of cabinet, having told MacLauchlan they will not be running in the next provincial election.

They are leaving their cabinet portfolios immediately, but will continue to serve out their terms as MLAs, according to government news releases.

The new cabinet looks like this:

• Premier Wade MacLauchlan, president of executive council, minister of aboriginal affairs, minister of intergovernmental affairs, minister of Acadian and Francophone affairs.
• Paula Biggar, minister of transportation, infrastructure and energy,minister responsible for the status of women.
• Tina Mundy, minister of family and human services.
• Sonny Gallant, minister of workforce and advanced learning.
• Pat Murphy, minister of rural and regional development.
• Chris Palmer, minister of economic development and tourism;
• Heath MacDonald, minister of finance.
• Jordan Brown, minister of education, early learning and culture, justice and public safety, and attorney general.
• Richard Brown, minister of communities, land and environment.
• Robert Henderson, minister of agriculture and fisheries.
• Robert Mitchell, minister of health and wellness.

The new cabinet has a lot ofchanges, apart from the move of Heath MacDonald from economic development and tourism into Roach's finance portfolio, and Robert Henderson into McIsaac's agriculture and fisheries role and out of health and wellness.

• Chris Palmer, MLA for Summerside-Wilmot, joins cabinet in the economic development and tourism portfolio.
• Jordan Brown adds justice, public safety and attorney general to his portfolio. These were previously the premier's responsibility.
• Richard Brown rejoins cabinet in communities, land and environment, which had been Robert Mitchell's portfolio.

Palmer is the only rookie in the cabinet. Brown has previously served as minister of development and higher education, and minister of environment, energy and forestry.

PC leader expects different approach

In a news release, Progressive Conservative Leader James Aylward said that given the major cabinet shuffle, he expects to see a different approach to governing.

"I would expect that Robert Mitchell will bring new urgency to addressing our mental health crisis," Aylward said.

"I would also expect that Richard Brown will give fair consideration to our idea of all party co-operation to develop the Water Act regulations and to make the municipal amalgamation debate more democratic."

Aylward also thankedMcIsaac and Roach for their years of service in cabinet.

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS |How P.E.I.'s minimum wage stacks up
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS |Number of P.E.I. flu cases rising but not unusual so far