Jason Kenney announces cabinet shuffle, as well as staff promotion

Jason Kenney announced yesterday his first changes to his cabinet since his party won the April 2019 provincial election.

Kenney has dismissed Tanya Fir, MLA for Calgary-Peigan, as minister of economic development, trade, and tourism. In fact, the entire ministry has been disbanded and will be replaced with a new ministry: jobs, economy, and innovation.

The minister for this new portfolio will be Doug Schweitzer. That, of course, leaves his role as justice minister open, which will be filled by Kaycee Madu, making him the first African-born justice minister ever in Canada.

Madu’s transfer to justice creates a vacancy in municipal affairs, where he was originally minister. Filling that vacancy will be cabinet newcomer Tracy Allard, MLA for Grande Prairie.

There were no other cabinet changes.

In the announcement, Kenney also mentioned that his principal secretary, Howard Anglin, was leaving public service to take a position at Oxford University. Taking his place is Lawrence Kaumeyer, a former public servant during Ralph Klein’s tenure.

Kaumeyer donated $400 to the UCP last year. Also last year, he was hired by the UCP government to be a principal advisor at the ministry level. His salary was just under $140,000 a year with a contract to end in 2023.

Anglin, on the other hand, was making just under $225,000 as principal secretary, the new position Kaumeyer will be filling.

Originally published at kimsiever.ca on 26 August 2020.