NLIS 2
March 14, 2006
(Executive Council)
Premier announces new
Cabinet appointments and welcomes Felix Collins into Caucus
Premier Danny Williams today announced
changes to his Cabinet and also welcomed the newest Member of the House
of Assembly to the government caucus, Mr. Felix Collins. Mr. Collins was
elected in a by-election on February 21, 2006 in the District of
Placentia & St. Mary�s.
"Our government has had the benefit of strong leadership at both the
caucus and cabinet level, and today I am pleased to welcome a new
Cabinet minister and a new caucus member," said Premier Williams. "Mr.
Clyde Jackman has done a tremendous service as a Parliamentary Secretary
over the past couple of years and has been a strong voice for his
constituents, and we look forward to having the benefit of his
experience and advice at the Cabinet table."
The following portfolios will be under new leadership effective
immediately:
Minister of Health and Community Services � Tom Osborne
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs � John Ottenheimer
Minister of Environment and Conservation � Clyde Jackman
"It is always beneficial to have fresh
perspectives on different portfolios, and the changes today reflect my
confidence in these individuals to serve these particular constituencies
and the interests of their portfolios around the Cabinet table," added
Premier Williams. "I am also very pleased to welcome Felix Collins into
our caucus. Having known Felix for many years, I know that he will bring
great experience and knowledge to the caucus table and will serve the
people of Placentia & St. Mary�s well."
Premier Williams also announced the
appointment of Dave Denine, MHA for Mount Pearl, as Parliamentary
Secretary to the Minister of Education, and Harry Harding, MHA for
Bonavista North, will serve as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister
of Human Resources, Labour and Employment.
"All of these individuals have worked
diligently on behalf of the public interest, and I look forward to the
contributions they will make in their new role," Premier Williams said.
Media contact: Elizabeth Matthews, Office
of the Premier, (709) 729-3960 or (709) 690-5500, elizabethmatthews@gov.nl.ca
Biographies
John Ottenheimer
Member for St. John�s East
Born in St. John�s in 1953, John Ottenheimer graduated from Memorial
University with Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees in
1974, a Graduate Diploma in 1980, and a Masters of Education in 1986. He
attended the University of Windsor, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws
in 1982. He worked as a high school teacher in French and German at Holy
Heart of Mary High School at St. John�s in 1974-75; as principal at St.
Joseph�s Academy at Lamaline in 1976-78; and as principal at St.
Stephen�s Elementary at Stephenville in 1978-79. He practiced law in St.
John�s beginning in 1982. He has been a lecturer in property law at
Cabot College and a lecturer in Law and Education at the Faculty of
Education of Memorial University of Newfoundland. Mr. Ottenheimer was
elected in St. John�s East in the general elections of 1996, 1999 and
2003. He has served in the PC Caucus as the Chair of the Strategy
Committee, the Chair of the PC Caucus and the critic for the portfolios
of Education, Justice, Treasury Board, Mines and Energy, and Labrador
and Aboriginal Affairs. He is a past Director and Fundraising
Chairperson with the Newfoundland and Labrador Heart and Stroke
Foundation; he served as Subcommittee Chairperson with the Law
Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador; and he has served as Honourary
Chair of the Eastern Avalon Chapter of the Crohn�s and Colitis
Foundation of Canada. Mr. Ottenheimer is married to Leona (King), a
visual artist, of Long Harbour, Placentia Bay. They have four sons.
Minister Ottenheimer was appointed into the Cabinet in November 2003. He
has served as Minister of Education and Minister of Health and Community
Services.
Tom Osborne
Member for St. John�s South
Born in St. John�s in 1964, Tom Osborne was educated at Brother Edmund
Rice High School and graduated from Cabot College in St. John�s. He
worked with Statistics Canada from 1986 to 1990, with Small Business
Enterprise from 1990 to 1995, and with the Penney Group of Companies
from 1990 until his election in 1996. He was elected in the general
elections of 1996, 1999 and 2003. He was elected Opposition Caucus
Vice-Chair, was appointed Parliamentary Assistant to the Leader of the
Opposition, and served as Opposition critic for Industry, Trade and
Technology, Government Services and Lands, and Environment and Labour.
He has also served as a Member of the Public Accounts Committee.
Minister Osborne was appointed into Cabinet in November 2003 and has
since served as Minister of Environment and Conservation. Minister
Osborne is married to Yvonne (McGrath) of Placentia and has two
daughters Rhiannon and Kate.
Clyde Jackman
Member for Burin Placentia-West
Clyde Jackman was born in Grole, Hermitage Bay to Clyde and Theresa (Cribb)
Jackman and is the eldest of 10 children. His family resettled to Marystown in 1968. Clyde has resided in Baine Harbour for the past
25 years where he and his wife Elizabeth (Kilfoy) raised their
five children Mary, Colin, Owen, Darren, and Byron. Clyde completed his
high school years at Pearce Regional High School and went on to complete
a Bachelor of Arts and Education from Memorial University of
Newfoundland and Labrador. In 1993, he received a Master's of Education
from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Clyde has
worked in education for 27 years. His first two years of
teaching took him to Cartwright, Labrador. He then returned to the Burin
Peninsula and worked as a teaching principal at St. Matthew's
Elementary, Boat Harbour West, and as principal at Jacques Fontaine
All-Grade School, Jacques Fontaine.
Clyde has served as a volunteer at both
the local and provincial levels. He has been a
member of the Board of Directors for the T. J. Macdonald Youth Group
Home and, for 21 years, he worked as a volunteer firefighter. He
has held several positions within his local church community and, for a
period of time, he and his family provided foster care support. Clyde is
an avid outdoors person. He particularly enjoys kayaking and canoeing.
He has fished alongside trawlermen and inshore fishermen and he has a
deep interest in the future of rural Newfoundland and Labrador. He was
sworn in as the Member for Burin - Placentia West on November 12, 2003.
He was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for the Department of
Education in June 2005.
Dave Denine
Member for Mount Pearl
Dave Denine was elected and sworn in as a Member of the House of
Assembly in November 2003. He subsequently served as the Parliamentary
Secretary to the Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs and
Minister Responsible for the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing
Corporation. The former Mayor of Mount Pearl is a graduate of Memorial
University of Newfoundland, where he received a Bachelor of Education
degree in 1972, and a retired junior and senior high school teacher. He
served as a member of the Mount Pearl City Council since November 1989,
holding the positions of Councillor, Deputy Mayor and was elected Mayor
in 1996. He has served on the executive of the Mount Pearl Minor Hockey
Association; chaired the Torch Relay Committee; and was a member of the
Coordinating Committee for the 1988 and 2000 Newfoundland and Labrador
Summer Games. He also co-chaired the 2002 Irving Cup Hockey Tournament
held in Mount Pearl. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the
Children�s Wish Foundation. Dedicated to his community, Mr. Denine has
received several community awards including the 1988 City Builders
Award, the 1988 Brian Waklin Award for Minor Hockey Executive of the
Year, the Queen�s Golden Jubilee Medal for community service, and the
Mount Pearl Minor Hockey Builders Award.
Mr. Denine, his wife Shirley and their
two sons, Keith and Mark, live in Mount Pearl.
Harry Harding
Member for Bonavista North
First elected to the House of Assembly in 2002, Harry Harding was
re-elected as Member for Bonavista North in 2003. Originally from
Greenspond, he attended Bishop�s College in St. John�s, Gander District
Vocational School, and Memorial University. For the past 29 years, Mr.
Harding and his wife Abbie have lived in Badger�s Quay. They have two
children, Jamie and Patty. Immediately prior to being elected to the
House, Mr. Harding was employed as resource manager with Beothic Fish
Processors Ltd. in Valleyfield for 14 years. He has also worked as town
clerk/manager for 15 years with the rural district of Badger�s Quay-Valleyfield-Pool�s
Island. He also worked as payroll clerk/office manager with St. Lawrence
Construction at Churchill Falls and Labrador City, as teacher at
Greenspond and Wareham, as plant worker with Fishery Products
International and as labourer with Fishermen�s Union Trading Company in
Greenspond. Mr. Harding has been a very active in community life, having
served with distinction as a volunteer in many organizations, including
with Lions, Badger�s Quay Fire Department, Cape Freels Development
Association and Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Municipal
Administrators. Awards he has received include the Melvin Jones Fellow
(the highest award from the International Association of Lions Clubs).
Felix Collins
Member for Placentia & St. Mary�s
Felix Collins was elected to represent Placentia & St. Mary�s in a
by-election on February 21, 2006. He served as Mayor of Placentia for 15
years and councillor for four years. He was the founding director and
vice-chairperson of Lion�s Manor Health Care Facility in Placentia for
eight years; member of the board of directors with Marine Atlantic for
six years; former superintendent, supervisor, principal and teacher with
the St. Mary�s School Board; founding chair of the Placentia Recreation
Commission; practicing lawyer for 10 years; first winner of the
Newfoundland Teachers� Association�s Special Recognition Award for
Community and Public Service (1990); chair of the Placentia Intertown
Joint Mayors� Association; Placentia Citizen of the Year 1990. Felix is
married to Janet and they have three children � Lisa, Paul and Jonathon.
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