Executive Council
December 14, 2015

Premier Dwight Ball and Cabinet Sworn in to Form New Government

Today at Government House, the Honourable Dwight Ball was sworn in as the 13th Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador. Premier Ball's Cabinet of 12 ministers were also sworn in.

"I am truly humbled and honoured to serve as our province's thirteenth Premier. The people of this great province entrusted our team with the responsibility and the opportunity to govern. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians voted for strong leadership, better management and open government. I can assure you our government will deliver on that mandate."
- The Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

Premier Ball's Cabinet consists of 12 ministers along with himself, bringing great experience from industry, business, healthcare, education and the public service to important portfolios focused on helping improve the lives of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

"Every one of us has an important role to play as we take on the challenges of today, and leverage the significant opportunities ahead. I have every confidence that by working together, we can achieve that."
- Premier Ball

The following is a list of Cabinet Ministers by department:

• Premier, President of Executive Council, Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs - The Honourable Dwight Ball
• Minister of Municipal Affairs, Minister of Service NL, Minister Responsible for Fire and Emergency Services - Newfoundland and Labrador, Minister Responsible for the Government Purchasing Agency, Minister Responsible for WorkplaceNL and Registrar General - The Honourable Eddie Joyce
• Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development - The Honourable Dale Kirby
• Minister of Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development; Minister Responsible for the Forestry and Agrifoods Agency; and Minister Responsible for the Research & Development Corporation - The Honourable Christopher Mitchelmore
• Minister of Justice and Public Safety, Attorney General and Government House Leader - The Honourable Andrew Parsons
• Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, Minister Responsible for the Human Resources Secretariat, Minister Responsible for the Public Service Commission, Minister Responsible for the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Minister Responsible for the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation - The Honourable Cathy Bennett
• Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture - The Honourable Steve Crocker
• Minister of Advanced Education and Skills - The Honourable Gerry Byrne
• Minister of Natural Resources, Minister Responsible for the Office of Public Engagement and Deputy Government House Leader - The Honourable Siobhan Coady
• Minister of Child, Youth and Family Services; Minister of Seniors, Wellness and Social Development; Minister Responsible for the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation; and Minister Responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities - The Honourable Sherry Gambin-Walsh
• Minister of Health and Community Services - The Honourable - John Haggie
• Minister of Transportation and Works - The Honourable Al Hawkins
• Minister of Environment and Conservation, Minister Responsible for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Minister Responsible for the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board, Minister Responsible for the Labour Relations Agency and Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs - The Honourable Perry Trimper

Biographies are included in the Backgrounder below.

- 30 -

Media contact:

Nancy O'Connor Director of Communications Office of the Premier 709-789-1825 nancyoconnor@gov.nl.ca

BACKGROUNDER
Biographies

Hon. Dwight Ball, Premier, Member for Humber - Gros Morne
Dwight Ball has over 30 years' experience as a healthcare professional and a community leader. He began his career in provincial politics in 2007, and was re-elected in 2011, for the District of Humber Valley. Mr. Ball served as Leader of the Official Opposition since 2012, before winning government on November 30, 2015.

Born in Deer Lake, Mr. Ball trained as a pharmacist in St. John's, and then returned to begin practice in his hometown. He opened Deer Lake Pharmacy and later expanded his operations to include a community pharmacy in Springdale. His business career has widened to other areas of health care and beyond to real estate and venture capital.

He served as president of the Canadian Pharmacists Association in 2009. He is a past president of the Deer Lake Chamber of Commerce and a former director of the Deer Lake Airport Authority. Mr. Ball has also been heavily involved in charitable activities in the region. For his involvement in the community, he has been recognized with a number of awards.

Hon. Eddie Joyce, Member for Humber - Bay of Islands
Eddie Joyce first started serving constituents in the Bay of Islands in 1989. He was re-elected in 1999, and appointed Parliamentary Assistant to Premier Roger Grimes in 2001. After being returned to the House of Assembly in the 2003 election, he served as the Opposition Critic for the Department of Natural Resources, Tourism, and other important portfolios. In 2011 Mr. Joyce again won election to represent the people of the Bay of Islands. In 2013, he served as the interim Leader of the Liberal Party and the Official Opposition.

In addition to politics, Mr. Joyce has had a long and successful career in sports. In 1975, he won a bronze medal in boxing at the Canada Winter Games. He was inducted into the soccer hall of fame and was twice named Corner Brook's athlete of the year. In addition to being active as a player in various sports, he has also served as a coach in the Corner Brook region. He has had a longtime involvement with the Canadian Paraplegic Association, including executive positions on the board.

Hon. Dale Kirby, Member for Mount Scio
Dale Kirby was born in St. Lawrence and grew up in Lord's Cove. He received a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Education degree from Memorial University, and then completed a PhD in higher education theory and policy studies from the University of Toronto.

Mr. Kirby is on leave from his position as a professor in Memorial University's Faculty of Education. He previously served as a senior advisor on education policy for the Ontario Public Service. He has been the recipient of several major awards for his work as a scholar and researcher, and he has been recognized for his advocacy on issues of student access and participation in college and university.

In 2011, Mr. Kirby was elected to represent the district of St. John's North in the House of Assembly. He had previously held elected student union positions at both the local and national levels, including time as chairperson of the NL branch of the Canadian Federation of Students.

Hon. Christopher Mitchelmore, Member for St. Barbe - L'Anse aux Meadows
Christopher Mitchelmore was first elected to the House of Assembly in 2011, as the youngest member of the legislature. He is from Green Island Cove, a small fishing village on the Great Northern Peninsula.

Mr. Mitchelmore has a Bachelor of Commerce Honours (Co-op) degree from Memorial University, with international study experience in the United Kingdom and at the University of Economics in the Czech Republic. He worked with the Department of Innovation, Business, and Rural Development; the Newfoundland and Labrador Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities (PUB); and London Offshore Consultants.

Prior to entering politics, Mr. Mitchelmore worked as a client services officer and a youth ventures coordinator with the Community Business Development Corporation (CBDC) Nortip. He has an extensive track record of community involvement, including time as vice president of the Straits - St. Barbe Chronic Care Corporation and director and member of the Canadian Community Economic Development Network.

Hon. Andrew Parsons, Member for Burgeo - La Poile
Andrew Parsons has represented the district of Burgeo - La Poile since 2011. A lifelong resident of Channel-Port aux Basques, he trained as a lawyer and was called to the Newfoundland and Labrador bar in 2005. Mr. Parsons practiced law in the region before entering provincial politics. He previously served as the Opposition House Leader and the Opposition Critic for Justice, Health and Community Services, and other key portfolios.

Mr. Parsons has served on the executive of Port aux Basques Minor Hockey, including four years as president. He served as a committee member for Port aux Basques Come Home Year 2005, a member of the Southwest Coast Marine and Mountain Zone Committee, and as a board member on the Dr. Charles L. Legrow Health Care Foundation. He has also served as president of the Port aux Basques Chamber of Commerce and has been recognized and awarded numerous times for his public service and volunteerism.

Hon. Cathy Bennett, Member for Windsor Lake
Cathy Bennett has had a successful business career before entering provincial politics in 2014. At the age of 16, she was employed on the front line of the food service industry. By 18, she was managing a restaurant, with a staff of 50 reporting to her. Entirely self-made, her business operations have expanded vastly since then, growing to span six companies and employing hundreds of staff.

In addition to business, Ms. Bennett has been extensively involved in the charitable and community sectors. She's the vice chair of Ronald McDonald House and the former chair of the Capital Campaign to build its St. John's facility. She has served as the Chairperson of the St. John's Board of Trade and the Governor of the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council.

In 2014, she was elected to represent Virginia Waters in the House of Assembly. Ms. Bennett has served as the Opposition Critic for Finance, and as the critic for a number of other portfolios.

Hon. Steve Crocker, Member for Carbonear - Trinity - Bay de Verde
Steve Crocker was elected to the House of Assembly in November 2014, when he took the by-election in Trinity - Bay de Verde. Since his swearing in, Mr. Crocker has served as the Opposition critic for business and rural development, including the Research & Development Corporation.

Mr. Crocker has been a tireless advocate for the people of Trinity - Bay de Verde, working hard to bring attention to critical infrastructure needs for the district. Prior to his election, he served as executive assistant to Dwight Ball, the leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador.

He worked as an entrepreneur at his family's business in the district of Carbonear - Trinity - Bay de Verde and resides in Heart's Delight-Islington.

Hon. Gerry Byrne, Member for Corner Brook
Gerry Byrne has had a long and successful career in federal politics, having served as the Member of Parliament for Humber -St. Barbe-Baie Verte since 1996. Mr. Byrne was re-elected six times to the Parliament of Canada.

From 2002 until 2004, Mr. Byrne served as the Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the youngest cabinet member in Newfoundland and Labrador history. He was parliamentary secretary to several key cabinet members. He has also served in a lead role on a number of influential government standing committees.

Prior to entering politics, Mr. Byrne worked as an economic development officer on the Great Northern Peninsula, during which time he was involved in numerous projects from varying segments of the provincial economy, including the renewable and non-renewable resource sectors. He was born and raised in Corner Brook. Mr. Byrne completed his post-secondary education at Dalhousie University, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in biology.

Hon. Siobhan Coady, Member for St. John's West
Siobhan Coady is a business leader and President of Novocom Inc., an international resource procurement company. From 2008 to 2011, she was the Liberal Member of Parliament for the riding of St. John's South-Mount Pearl. She was Critic for Treasury Board; a member of the Industry Committee; and vice chair of the Operations Committee. Prior to entering politics, she owned and operated companies as diverse as Newfound Genomics Inc, a leading biotechnology company; The Clinical Trials Centre, a medical research company; and Bonaventure Fisheries, a privately-held fish harvesting company. Ms. Coady is a past chair (2003) and governor of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. She was president of the St. John's Board of Trade in 1993.

Ms. Coady has been recognized as one of the Top 50 CEOs in Atlantic Canada and has received the Queen's Jubilee Medal. Ms. Coady is also a well-known political commentator for CBC. She currently sits on several private Boards of Directors as well as Compute Canada and the Board of the Institute of Corporate Directors, St. John's. She is the Chair of the 200th celebration committee of the royal St John's Regatta. She previously was on the Board of Genome Canada, the Public Policy Forum, the St. John's Airport Authority, the Genesis Centre, the Atlantic Innovation Council and the Institute of Chartered Accountants Newfoundland, to name a few.

Ms. Coady is an alumnus of Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, Oxford University and the University of Toronto. She is an accredited director (ICD.D) of the Institute of Corporate Directors and an Accredited Public Relations Professional (APR).

Hon. Sherry Gambin-Walsh, Member for Placentia - St. Mary's
Sherry Gambin-Walsh has 25 years of experience as a healthcare professional and many years in the non-profit sector. Ms. Gambin-Walsh was born and raised in Placentia and currently resides in North Harbour, St. Mary's Bay. She completed nursing studies in 1990 and received a certificate in leadership from Memorial University.

Ms. Gambin-Walsh worked as a neonatal nurse at the Dr. Charles A. Janeway and as the community inclusion coordinator and the provincial executive director for the Newfoundland and Labrador Association for Community Living.

She served on the board of the NL Irish Connections and Festival of the Sea. Ms. Gambin-Walsh was also a member of the Provincial Advisory Council to the Minister Responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

Ms. Gambin-Walsh was the chair of the Autism Society and the chair of the Avalon Gateway Regional Economic Development Board as well as being a member of the St. Mary's Bay Rural Development Association and other community boards.

Hon. John Haggie, Member for Gander
Dr. John Haggie has had a long and distinguished career in medicine in Newfoundland and Labrador. He completed studies as a general surgeon at Victoria University of Manchester in 1977 and finished postgraduate training in 1981. After a two-year fellowship, John received a doctorate in cancer research.

After working as a surgeon, a tutor and a lecturer in Manchester and Liverpool, Dr. Haggie emigrated to Newfoundland and Labrador, landing in St. Anthony in 1993. He practiced as a general surgeon with the Grenfell Region Health Services. In 1997 he relocated his practice to the James Paton Memorial Hospital in Gander.

Dr. Haggie has committed his time and expertise to medical advocacy, particularly in lobbying for underprivileged patients and for social issues in medicine, such as housing, income and food security. He served as president of both the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association and the Canadian Medical Association.

Hon. Al Hawkins, Member for Grand Falls-Windsor - Buchans
Al Hawkins has had an extensive career as an educator, in business and in community involvement. Born and raised in Twillingate, he studied at Memorial University and received a BA (Ed) and a BA. He then spent 28 years as a teacher and administrator.

Following his time in the education profession, Mr. Hawkins embarked on a business career. He worked for eight years as the executive director of a US-based software company, spearheaded the startup and expansion of a regional call centre operation, and spent time as a mortgage consultant in Grand Falls-Windsor.

Mr. Hawkins has been involved in municipal politics since 1993, serving time as a town councilor and more recently, as the mayor of Grand Falls-Windsor. He has volunteered for many causes and has served on numerous boards over the years, including time as president of the Exploits Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Hon. Perry Trimper, Member for Lake Melville
Perry Trimper is an environmental scientist with 30 years of experience in resource development in northern regions. He has worked on projects in Labrador, elsewhere in Canada, and internationally in such locales as Russia, Ukraine, and Turkmenistan.

Prior to his candidacy for the Liberal Party, Mr. Trimper worked as the principal scientist with Stantec Consulting Limited. Other highlights from his distinguished career include managing Innu and Inuit partnership companies on behalf of Stantec and taking a lead scientist role in several environmental assessments, including the Voisey's Bay mine, all three phases of the Trans-Labrador Highway and the Lower Churchill hydroelectric development. He also managed socio-economic development projects in the former Soviet Union on behalf of the UN, CIDA, and the World Bank.

Mr. Trimper has been involved in many community organizations in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, including the Ground Search and Rescue Team, the Labrador Winter Games, the Labrador Heritage Society and the Labrador North Chamber of Commerce.

2015 12 14                              12:05 p.m.