Does a Premier Kenney get you HOPEFUL or NERVOUS?

It started with a 30 minutes beating in the snowy rain before members of the media community were ushered to go in to witness the appointment of Alberta’s new Premier, Jason Kenney, 23 other cabinet ministers, and a Parliamentary Secretary. The date was April 30, 2019, that projected Alberta into a new beginning.

The Cabinet is as diverse as you can get from the crop of MLAs elected, with some good candidates such as Edmonton born, Minister Leela Aheer, MLA for the newly formed riding of Chestermere-Strathmore. Appointed as Alberta’s Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women, Minister Aheer served as a drama and music teacher, a French and Spanish instructor, owned and operated businesses as an entrepreneur. Hopefully her community and multilingual credentials that were recognized will be an assert to inspire the recognition of the credentials of new Canadians to help foster Diversity and inclusion in Alberta.

Another good appointment was Minister Adriana LaGrange, elected MLA for Red Deer North, appointed as Alberta’s Education Minister after serving as a Trustee of the Red Deer Catholic Regional School Division for more than 11 years.

Of great interest to multicultural communities is this man, one of the numerous “Jasons” on the cabinet, Minister Jason Copping, MLA for Calgary-Varsity. MLA Copping has over 20 years of senior management experience in labour relations and human resources and corporate affairs. He has also served as a part-time member of the Alberta Labour Relations Board and has taught Labour Relations at the University of Calgary and Labour and Employment Law, as well as, Human Resource Management at the University of Lethbridge. MLA Copping has no lived immigration to Canada experience as he is a born-Canadian. I will guess that is why he will be supported by Muhammad Yaseen who was appointed Parliamentary Secretary of Immigration. 

A position that drew laughter from even the “Kenneynites” in the room was the appointment of Minister Grant Hunter, MLA for Cardston-Taber-Warner. The message on the Alberta Government website reads, “…Relying on his own experience as an entrepreneur, Hunter will target unnecessary and burdensome over-regulation that currently weighing job-creators down, while empowering entrepreneurs, and business owners to invest in Alberta and create jobs in this province…”.

Conspicuously absent from the cabinet, were Edmonton MLAs who are mostly NDP with the exception of Kaycee Madu, the lone person of African descent appointed Minister of Municipal Affairs. The key ministries all went to Calgary and Southern Alberta. Fort McMurray was no where to be found on the cabinet, so too were our indigenous community representation.