After he was taken off the extremely important Education ministry, local MLA Jeff Johnson said he doesn’t feel slighted in the least at being named the new Minister of Seniors.
Johnson, MLA for Athabasca-Sturgeon-Redwater, kept a spot in cabinet after being named Minister of Seniors by new Premier Jim Prentice at the swearing in ceremony on Sept. 15.
“I am really excited,” said Johnson in an interview last Tuesday.
“This is a critical file with a lot of pressure right now on what to do about accommodations and with health care. And it is a huge statement by the premier to re-establish seniors as a standalone ministry, it shows how high of a priority this file is to this government.”
In announcing the re-introduction of the Seniors ministry, Prentice stated the focus of Johnson’s department would involve ensuring a strong and effective elder abuse strategy is instituted with a concentration on awareness and prevention; collaborate with other departments in development and implementation of initiatives that raise the awareness of effective and proactive approaches to brain health and prevention of cognitive decline; address fire code and safety issues that currently surround seniors accommodation; and increase the number of housing units under development.
In the last cabinet, established under Alison Redford last December, the Seniors portfolio was contained under the Ministry of Health.
The last time it was a separate department was back in 2012 when it was Seniors and Community Supports.
“(Seniors) criss-crosses so many different ministries – from housing to health, infrastructure to human services. And that can create so many different barriers to getting done what needs to be, but I know I will get good support from the rest of my cabinet colleagues to help break through those challenges,” explained Johnson.
“Over the next 18 months, I know we will be making announcements that demonstrate we are moving forward and delivering more housing units.”
He added the improvements for seniors will be meaningful and that he takes the responsibility for this ministry seriously, as it has significant value to a large number of his own constituents.
Regarding his move out of Education, Johnson stated it will now be easier for him to work on behalf of the people in his riding, especially considering the situation with the new school project in Athabasca.
“(My new cabinet appointment) removes me from the decision-making on the school, which makes it easier for me to be a more vocal proponent for the community regarding the project,” he said.
“And it is and will continue to be my number-one job, to be the MLA and represent the residents of my constituency.”
Johnson said he’s happy with the legacy he left during his three years as Education minister.
“There is a lot that I did and a number of items that are ongoing in Education that I helped with. I carried through on the changes we made to the new Education Act, one of the positive things I am really pleased about,” he stated.
“However, I’m sure the new minister will put his own stamp on things and I look forward to working with and supporting him in anything that he wants me to be involved with.”
The other influential posts Johnson hung onto were on two of the three prominent, high-level government committees – Treasury Board and Operations. The Treasury Board establishes the overall and departmental budgets, while Operations provides oversight on what work various departments are doing.
“These committees do a lot of the work of government, setting the policies and direction it will follow,” he explained.
“I am looking forward to the future under our new premier and one can definitely see the change going on under the dome.”
Those changes began by cabinet being downsized from 30 to just 16 ministers and three associate ministers, with Prentice keeping two portfolios for himself.
He also stirred up critics by selecting two non-elected members to fill cabinet posts.
Prentice has also announced other moves in the past week that were calculated to take the sword out of the hands of the opposition.
Those have included axing the contentious plan for new licence plates, killing a pair of bills that would have substantially reformed civil service pensions, and initiating the sale of the government’s airplane fleet that has been the subject of recent alleged misuse by politicians.
