Merriman, Duncan moved to new portfolios in major Sask. cabinet shuffle

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe announced a sizable cabinet shuffle Tuesday – with six ministers taking on new responsibilities and two MLAs being brought into cabinet.

Former Education Minister Dustin Duncan has been moved and will now serve as Minister of Crown Investments Corporation and all major crown corporations in the province – replacing Don Morgan, who recently announced he will not seek re-election in 2024.

Christine Tell – who previously served as the Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety – will now serve as the Minister of Environment – replacing Dana Skoropad.

Paul Merriman is moving from the Ministry of Health and will take Tell’s former position – as well as the Minister Responsible for the Firearms Secretariat.

Everett Hindley will become the next Minister of Health. Cabinet newcomer Tim McLeod will take Hindley’s former position as Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Seniors and Rural and Remote Health.

"We've made a number of significant advancements in the area of healthcare, but we know we still have some challenges to address," Hindley said of his new portfolio.

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Lori Carr will now serve as the Minister of Highways. Prince Albert Carleton MLA Joe Hargrave will replace Carr as Minister of SaskBuilds and Procurement.

Rounding out the ministers taking on new responsibilities is Jeremy Cockrill who will serve as the new Minister of Education.

"I love a challenge," Cockrill said of entering a position that is currently under fire for what critics call inadequate funding in the school system and a controversial parental consent policy around name and pronoun changes in the classroom.

"In community after community after community, including my own, the topic of education comes up, and we hear from parents who are dealing with specific situations or more general situations that want to be more involved in their child's education."

Cockrill admitted he needs to be better briefed to understand how the policy will be implemented, but he said he will work with stakeholders and school divisions on the matter.

The Saskatchewan Party's cabinet following the shuffle on Aug. 29, 2023. (Gareth Dillistone/CTV News)

Nine ministers will retain their responsibilities. They include:

• Donna Harpauer as Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance;
• Jim Reiter as Minister of Energy and Resources;
• Gordon Wyant as Minister of Advanced Education;
• Jeremy Harrison as Minister of Trade and Export Development, Minister of Immigration and Career Training, and Minister responsible for Innovation and Tourism Saskatchewan;
• David Marit remains Minister of Agriculture and Minister responsible for Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation, and also becomes Minister responsible for the Water Security Agency;
• Don McMorris as Minister of Government Relations, Minister responsible for First Nations, Metis and Northern Affairs and Minister responsible for the Provincial Capital Commission, and also becomes Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, and the Minister responsible for Workers' Compensation Board;
• Bronwyn Eyre as Minister of Justice and Attorney General;
• Gene Makowsky as Minister of Social Services; and
• Laura Ross as Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport and Minister responsible for the Status of Women and the Lotteries and Gaming Corporation.

NDP MLA Nicole Sarauer said the cabinet changes do not do much to address issues of affordability, one of the main topics of concern that she is hearing from constituents.

She said the government is using the school's parental consent policy as a political tool to distract from other important issues.

"If we want to talk about the economy and we want to talk about the cost of living and affordability in this province, the Sask. Party is going to lose that fight so they want to distract," Sarauer said.

"What's a real shame is that they're distracting with vulnerable kids."

Both Don Morgan and Dana Skoropad recently announced they will not be seeking re-election in 2024 and have left cabinet.

Morgan will become Provincial Secretary for the remainder of his term, the province noted.

The total size of the province’s cabinet remains the same at 18.

“It’s a significant shift today … as we get into the last year and a half prior to an election," Moe told reporters after the swearing in ceremony.

"There’s always renewal. There’s folks making the decision to leave politics for various reasons and there’s ultimately post election we’ll see folks who are entering politics.”