So, "Steady Eddie" has declared his new Cabinet today.
The first things that I noticed were this:
1) Holy bloated cabinet! - 24 ministers. Yikes - that's right up there with Ralph at his largest.
2) Ten "Parliamentary Assistants" to help out those oh-so-earnest cabinet ministers.
Essentially, Ed has made just about half of his party caucus - can any body else hear the pork barrels being cracked open?
There's a few random bits about the individual assignments in the cabinet:
(1) Ron Stevens - International and Intergovernmental Affairs
While I can understand that there is a need to coordinate between governments, I have something of a problem with the fact that Alberta's government seems to think it needs what amounts to a foreign affairs department.
(2) Alison Redford - Attorney General / Justice
We've just handed one of the highest profile positions in Cabinet to a neophyte MLA - what gives? That smacks of almost being a patronage appointment - although I suppose he could have handed the portfolio to Ted Morton, and it doesn't take much imagining to guess what rancid direction he'd like to go.
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Don't forget that Ms. Redford had initially set her sights on Rob Anders' seat, and since it was not available "settled" for a provincial seat.
And since it IS the old Klein riding, and many people there would feel better knowing that they had a "VIP" to protect with their votes (heaven forfend that it fall to Cheffins or another, GASP!, Liberal). It's just good politics to make sure that it's protected by a high ranking cabinet minister.
However, I have a SIGNIFICANT problem with the way that Steady Eddie decided to allocate cabinet seats. We have a number of brand new MLAS, so fresh that they are still wet behind the ears - and haven't even been sworn in yet... and yet we're handing out cabinet positions to them like candy.
Blackett, Redford... the list goes on. And of course, we have to pacify the minorities - Women (check), Black (check), Green (check, check, check...) Disabled... oh, wait, Kent Hehr is a Liberal, we can't do that!
Now, if Steady Eddie really wanted to show that he is open minded and is handing out seats to the BEST qualified people, not just filling quotas (Calgary... check, Edmonton... check, check, check), we would see a distinctly different allocation of seats. After all, a green cabinet without ANY legislative experience is the BEST for Alberta, isn't it?
But then again, we are the province with a history of doing that, aren't we? I recall a certain Minister of Advanced Education who had only completed high school, and... well - that list is just to depressing to get into here, and we already know the story.
It infuriates me the slap happy, glad handed way that our province is being divvied up and handed out as prize money to the highest bidder.
Would the Liberals have handed out cabinet positions to green MLAS? Probably - but in that case, it would be distributed according to the individuals with the most experience and the best potential for the position (after all, in the Liberals case they would have been faced with the minor problem of not having enough experienced MLAs for cabinet) - but I don't see any excuses here!
And our "instant MLA - just add water" in Montrose, Manmeet Bhullar, has been given a plush parlimentary assistant position on advanced education (well, at least this STUDENT is well placed to be familiar with the needs of other Ontario Students... oh, wait - ONTARIO? Oopsie! I wonder if he is going to finish his degree while sitting in the Legislature, after all, he didn't even need to come to his old home town to run as an MLA - why should his new job require any more effort?).
And the first election promise goes flying out the door before the paint on the signs sadly proclaiming "Alberta 2008-2010 TOry" have dried.
Whatever happened to the promise of a smaller cabinet? Fiscal responsibility? Oh, wait! They were overturned by the OTHER promises that took presidence... those made behind closed doors as payment for past favours.
Ugh!
You actually couldn't hand it to Ted Morton. He's an incredible intellectual, but not a lawyer.
Watch Jonathan Denis or Rob Anderson get this post in a couple of years after Alison Redford screws up.
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