Premier Tobin announces Cabinet Shuffle

Premier Tobin today announced changes in five Cabinet portfolios.

Joining Cabinet is Kelvin Parsons (MHA Burgeo Lapoile) as Minister of Justice. Mr. Parsons became a member of the Newfoundland Law Society in 1980 and maintained a private practice in Port aux Basques until his election to the House of Assembly in 1999. He has acted as an agent for the Attorney General of Newfoundland and Labrador on Criminal Code prosecutions from 1987 to 1992, and for the Attorney General of Canada for fishery and unemployment prosecutions since 1983. Mr. Parsons has nine years experience as an adjudicator with the Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Commission.

Ministers assuming new portfolios are Paul Dicks as Minister of Mines and Energy; Lloyd Matthews as Minister of Finance, Roger Grimes as Minister of Health and Community Services; and Joan Marie Aylward as Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs.

All changes take effect today following a swearing-in by the Lieutenant-Governor at Government House.

Percy Barrett (MHA Bellevue) will retain his responsibilities as Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier and assume the additional role of Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Policy. Jim Walsh (MHA Conception Bay East, Bell Island) will be appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy. The role of Parliamentary Secretary will be to assist the chair in the co-ordination and scheduling of the agenda for the respective committees. Paul Dicks is the Chair of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Policy and Joan Marie Aylward is the Chair of the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy.

Media contact: Heidi Bonnell, Office of the Premier, (709) 729-3564.

2000 01 13                                         10:20 p.m.