CHAT News File Photo

By Chris Brown

Three moves made

Kenney shuffles cabinet, creates new jobs ministry

Aug 25, 2020 | 12:59 PM

EDMONTON, AB – Premier Jason Kenney announced a “limited reset” of his cabinet to ensure the right people in the right place as he prepares to bring Alberta out of the COVID recession.

Doug Schweitzer is moving from the justice and Solicitor General position to the newly named Ministry of Jobs, Economy and Innovation.

The premier says Schweitzer will help to co-ordinate implementation of Alberta’s economic recovery plan, working with other ministers” and “ensuring implementation of our sector strategies to again ensure a strong future for the energy sector, but also diversification in so many areas.

Kenney adds Schweitzer will “launch the Invest Alberta Agency, which Kenney says will put the Alberta Advantage as a compelling reason to invest in this province and create jobs to businesses and investors across Canada and around the world.”

Kaycee Madu will become the justice minister and solicitor general, moving over from municipal affairs. Tracy Allard will take over as minister of municipal affairs.

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Kenney says Allard will be challenging municipal governments to work with the province on creating jobs and growth to recover from the COVID catastrophe.

“It is critical that our municipal governments stop raising taxes, stop adding red tape that inhibits job creation and focus with Alberta’s government on the overriding goal of economic growth, of job creation, of diversification and of competitiveness,” says Kenney.

“From the very beginning of the COVID-19 crisis we’ve said that Alberta is being hit especially hard with the double whammy of the global coronavirus recession,” Kenney said. “On top of that the collapse of energy prices which has clobbered our largest industry, oil and gas.”

At an Edmonton news conference, Kenney said those facts will be reflected Thursday when Finance Minister Travis Toews releases Alberta’s fiscal update.

The Conference Board of Canada is expecting an 11 per cent contraction in Alberta’s economy.