Nova Scotia’s premier has quietly shuffled his cabinet, and the shakeup gives him more power over the energy sector amid his push to grow the industry.
As part of the shuffle, Premier Tim Houston named himself minister of energy, while cabinet veterans Becky Druhan and Tory Rushton were dropped entirely.
“It is a big portfolio and it’s not something you would typically see a premier take on on their own,” said political analyst Lori Turnbull.
Houston also continues to serve as the minister of trade and intergovernmental affairs.
Turnbull says it appears becoming energy minister was “completely strategic,” and it now places Houston “in the room” with the federal energy and natural resources minister “in a more direct way” when discussing energy projects.
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She says the move could also come with a risk.
“If Houston is going to take this file into his own hands, that is exactly how the public will see it — and will see it as his fault if things don’t go according to plan,” she added.
The province announced the cabinet shuffle in a news release late Tuesday afternoon.
Opposition members, including interim Liberal leader Derek Mombourquette, say they’re concerned this is an attempt to consolidate power in the premier’s office.
“I believe that the premier doesn’t want to answer to Nova Scotians. I question the accountability of making that decision. It was done in secrecy and I don’t understand why,” he said.
NDP Leader Claudia Chender says she believes “the public should feel insulted.”
“This cabinet shuffle — which came with no notice and no ability for the public to react and little information after the fact — this is why everyone is speculating and offering their opinions,” she said.
The announcement also comes on the heels of one of the province’s shortest legislative sittings.
The NDP and Liberals have recently criticized the eight-day fall sitting of the legislature and several omnibus bills that they said were attempts by the government to avoid scrutiny and accountability.
They say the bills, including one that bans protests on logging access roads, were rammed through the legislature with little debate.
The swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday was not open to reporters.
A media availability is being held Thursday with the premier when he’s set to sign an agreement on small modular nuclear reactors with Ontario’s energy minister.
–with a file from The Canadian Press
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