Premier Announces Changes to Cabinet

The Honourable Danny Williams, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, today announced changes to his Cabinet. The new Cabinet Ministers were sworn in today at a ceremony at Government House in St. John�s.

Appointed to Cabinet were:

• Minister of Transportation and Works and Minister Responsible for the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation - The Honourable Thomas J. Hedderson
   
• Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture � The Honourable Clyde Jackman
   
• Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation � The Honourable Terry French

�I welcome these Ministers to their new portfolios. In particular, I welcome Minister French as our newest addition to the Cabinet,� said Premier Williams. �I have every confidence that the experience of these individuals will greatly benefit the people of the province, as we continue to deliver strong governance in Newfoundland and Labrador. I look forward to the contributions of all Ministers and wish these individuals well in their new roles.�

The Premier also announced the following appointments:

• Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and Community Services � Keith Hutchings
   
• Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development � Wallace Young

�I thank Mr. Hutchings and Mr. Young for taking on these new responsibilities,� said Premier Williams. �They are both extremely effective and capable representatives in the House of Assembly and I know they will be equally effective in their new capacities.�

All appointments are effective immediately. See attached backgrounder for additional details.

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BACKGROUNDER
Biographies

Hon. Thomas J. Hedderson � Member for Harbour Main-Whitbourne
Tom Hedderson graduated with Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) and Bachelor of Education (English) degrees from Memorial University and a Master�s of Education (Psychology) from Mount Saint Vincent University in Nova Scotia. He served as principal of Bishop O�Neill Collegiate in Brigus.

First elected to the House of Assembly on February 9, 1999 to represent the District of Harbour Main-Whitbourne, he has served as Opposition Critic for Education (K-12), Parliamentary Assistant to the Leader of the Opposition and as Critic for Youth Services and Post Secondary Education. Re-elected for a second term on October 21, 2003, Mr. Hedderson was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Education and Youth Services and Post-Secondary Education. The department's name later changed to Education in the departmental restructuring on February 20, 2004. Mr. Hedderson was appointed Minister of Education October 1, 2004. He was appointed Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation on November 8, 2005.

Born on May 7, 1954, son of Bernard and Josephine (nee Philpott), Mr. Hedderson is the youngest of 19, a family of nine brothers and 10 sisters. He married Rosemary, daughter of the late Richard and Nora Conway of Marysvale. As proud parents of Christa Marie and Julia Anne, the family resides in the community of Georgetown.

Mr. Hedderson served as Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister Responsible for the Volunteer and Non-Profit Sector from October 30, 2007 until he was appointed Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture in October, 2008.

Hon. 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. He has resided in Baine Harbour for the past 29 years where he and his wife Elizabeth (Kilfoy) raised their five children Mary, Colin, Owen, Darren, and Byron. Mr. Jackman completed his high school years at Pearce Regional High School and went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts and Education from Memorial University. In 1993, he received a Master�s of Education from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He 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.

Mr. Jackman 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. He 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. He was sworn in as Minister of Environment and Conservation on March 14, 2006. Mr. Jackman most recently served as Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation.

Hon. Terry French � Member for Conception Bay South
On October 21, 2003, Mr. French was re-elected Member for Conception Bay South. He was appointed Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier in November 2003 and confirmed in this role in the departmental restructuring of February 20, 2004. On April 6, 2005, he was appointed Caucus Whip, and was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment on January 19, 2007.

Mr. French was re-elected to the House of Assembly on October 9, 2007, and on October 30, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and Community Services.

From 1997 to 2002, he served as Executive Assistant to St. John's East MP Norman Doyle, which afforded him the opportunity to assist the people of Conception Bay South and Holyrood through his constituency work in that office.

His political experience began early. He became President of the PC Youth wing of the local PC Association in the early eighties. He served on the Provincial Executive of the PC Association of Newfoundland and Labrador and was Campaign Chairman of two successful PC campaigns in the district during the 1996 and 1999 general elections. He has served as a member of the Provincial PC Election Readiness Committee. He was heavily involved in the 2001 and 2002 provincial PC by-election wins on the Northern Peninsula and in Bonavista North.

Mr. French graduated Queen Elizabeth High School in Foxtrap in 1984 and subsequently attended Memorial University until joining his father in a family business in 1986.

He has strong involvement in the community, particularly community sports: Member of the Board of Governors of the Conception Bay South Sports Hall of Fame; Volunteer in the Summer Games in Conception Bay South; Conception Bay South Minor Softball Coach; Member of the Conception Bay South Softball Umpire Association; Level 4 Umpire working at the National Softball Tournament.

Mr. French resides in Conception Bay South with his wife, two children, and his mother.

Keith Hutchings - Member for Ferryland
Keith Hutchings was born the youngest of six children and grew up in the small community of Mobile on the Southern Shore. He attended St. Bernard's Elementary School in Witless Bay and Mobile Central High. He has been active in the sporting community, participating in many sports including hockey, running, ball hockey and golf. He stills plays today and also has been involved in coaching minor softball, soccer and hockey. He has also been active as a volunteer, including Big/Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern NL, as board member, serving on various sporting executives and as well chairing various fundraising events.

Mr. Hutchings attended Memorial University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Major Political Science, Minor History) and later completed a Certificate in Public Administration from Memorial. He continued his education in later years and completed an Occupational Health and Safety Program from Ryerson University in Toronto.

His professional career has included 11 years with the Workplace Health Safety and Compensation Commission in various positions including managing various departments within the organization. He has also served as Chief of Staff and Executive Assistant to then Leader of the Official Opposition in the Provincial House of Assembly (1996 -1998).

On February 8, 2007, Mr. Hutchings was elected as the Progressive Conservative Party candidate in the by-election for the District of Ferryland. In the general election of October 9, 2007, he was re-elected as the Member for Ferryland District. He was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment on October 30, 2007.

Mr. Hutchings represents a large geographic district ranging from the Town of Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove and the Goulds in the North East Avalon as far as the Community of St. Shott�s in the south.

He is married to Lynn Croft of Aquaforte on the Southern Shore. They have two children, Jane and Eric.

Wallace Young Jr. � Member for St. Barbe
Wallace Young Jr. and his wife Jessie live in Plum Point. They have two children: Jennifer and Christopher.

After attending Memorial University, Mr. Young spent all of his adult life living in the District of St. Barbe. He is co-owner of the family owned business, the Plum Point Motel, and has experienced the needs and challenges facing the local business sector.
Mr. Young has been active in several organizations: Past-President of the Straits St. Barbe Chamber of Commerce; Past-President of the Big Droke Pre-Historic Cultures Foundation; Past-Director - Viking Trail Tourism Association; Past-Director - Red Ochre Regional Board.

He was first elected to the House of Assembly in a by-election in the District of St. Barbe on January 30, 2001.

On February 2, 2001, he became the PC Opposition critic for Tourism, Culture and Recreation and filled this role until August 9, 2001 when he became the PC Opposition critic for Government Services and Lands. He has also served as the PC Opposition critic for Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs and as a Member of the Government Services Committee.

Mr. Young was re-elected in the St. Barbe District on October 21, 2003.

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