STAY CONNECTED: Have the stories that matter most delivered every night to your email inbox. Subscribe to our daily local news wrap.
(Photo credit Youtube)
Provincial politics

GP-Wapiti MLA Travis Toews named Finance Minister

Apr 30, 2019 | 10:53 AM

Grande Prairie-Wapiti MLA Travis Toews has been named Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board by Premier Jason Kenney.

The news comes from the swearing in ceremony of the 30th Legislature of Alberta.

Toews received the third most votes out of any candidate in the province back on the 16th of April, garnering 17,772 votes out of 23,744 in that constituency. That was an 80.2% voter turnout in GP-Wapiti, the highest percentage turnout in Alberta.

The swearing in now means that Kenney, a former federal cabinet minister, has been officially sworn in as Alberta’s premier.

The United Conservative leader becomes the 18th person to head the province’s government.

He is expected to hold his first cabinet meeting immediately after his ministers are sworn in.

The ceremony at Government House in Edmonton marks the formal end of the four-year NDP government under former premier Rachel Notley.

Kenney’s UCP defeated the New Democrats in the provincial election April 16 when the party won 63 seats to the NDP’s 24.

Notley has promised to stay on as Opposition leader and will have an experienced caucus that includes 12 former cabinet ministers.

A new session of the legislature is to begin later in May.

Full biographies for Alberta’s new cabinet can be found on Alberta.ca.

Ministers

  • Premier Jason Kenney, President of Executive Council and Minister of Intergovernmental Relations
  • Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Advanced Education
  • Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry
  • Rebecca Shulz, Minister of Children’s Services
  • Rajan Sawhney, Minister of Community and Social Services
  • Leela Aheer, Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women
  • Tanya Fir, Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism
  • Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Education
  • Sonya Savage, Minister of Energy
  • Jason Nixon, Minister of Environment and Parks
  • Tyler Shandro, Minister of Health
  • Rick Wilson, Minister of Indigenous Relations
  • Prasad Panda, Minister of Infrastructure
  • Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General
  • Jason Copping, Minister of Labour and Immigration
  • Kaycee Madu, Minister of Municipal Affairs
  • Josephine Pon, Minister of Seniors and Housing
  • Nate Glubish, Minister of Service Alberta
  • Ric McIver, Minister of Transportation
  • Travis Toews, President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance

Associate Ministers

  • Jason Luan, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions
  • Dale Nally, Associate Minister of Natural Gas
  • Grant Hunter, Associate Minister of Red Tape

Parliamentary Secretary

  • Muhammad Yaseen, Parliamentary Secretary of Immigration

Major non-cabinet assignments

  • Jason Nixon, House Leader
  • Doug Schweitzer, Deputy House Leader
  • Ric McIver, Deputy House Leader
  • Sonya Savage, Deputy House Leader
  • Mike Ellis, Whip
  • Joseph Schow, Deputy Whip

w/files from the Canadian Press. Ministers list is from a news release from the provincial government.