Duncan, Merriman among Sask. MLAs moved to new portfolios in cabinet shuffle

Jun 10, 2023

Premier Scott Moe announced a significant shake-up to his 18-member cabinet on Tuesday morning, with new education and health ministers among the new appointments.

Weyburn-Big Muddy MLA Dustin Duncan is no longer Saskatchewan's minister of education. The change comes a week after he announced several new controversial policies around sexual education and the use of pronouns in the province's schools.

Duncan is taking over as the minister responsible for the Public Service Commission from Estevan MLA Lori Carr. He's also now filling Don Morgan's shoes as the minister of Crown Investments Corporation and minister responsible for all the major Crowns — including SaskPower, SaskEnergy, SaskTel, SGI and SaskWater.

Morgan, the MLA for Saskatoon Southeast, is not in cabinet for the first time 16 years. The move comes after the 73-year-old announced earlier this month that he will not be seeking re-election next fall.

Battlefords MLA Jeremy Cockrill will now serve as education minister, leaving his position as the minister of highways and minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency.

Moe was asked about the timing of the cabinet shuffle, one week after the government announced the name and pronoun policy changes in schools and banned third-party groups from presenting during sexual education classes.

"With Don Morgan indicating that he's not going to run again, we need a very qualified and competent individual that has been around a while to take on much of that workload, and Minister Duncan most certainly is all of those," Moe said.

The Saskatchewan School Boards Association said school divisions were not consulted about the changes and requested the policies be paused pending a review.

"We're not considering a pause in the policy. We will be looking to the school divisions on what their implementation plans are given every scenario that may arise," Moe said.

Moe said the changes come after feedback from parents.

"This isn't a policy that was dreamt up by a couple of elected members. This is a policy that many, if not all of the the government caucus MLAs have had discussions with parents, and ultimately with constituents, over the course of the last number of years, not just the course of the last number of months."

Groups like the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have said the name and pronoun policy is discriminatory.

New Brunswick's children's advocate has said a similar policy in that province violates children's charter rights.

When asked if the province took children's rights into account, Moe said, "children do have rights, but what I said at the very outset, this policy is designed to be inclusive. This policy is designed to bring parents and children closer together with respect to their education, their classroom and ultimately their school."

New Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill will be tasked with overseeing the implementation of this policy.

"If you have a child that is looking to transition, looking to identify by a different name or pronoun, that parent is, I think, in the best position to help support that child not only just at school but in all aspects of their life."

Cockrill was asked about children who may not feel safe disclosing a wish to be called by a different name or pronoun.

"We're going to make sure that their support wrapped around that student in school to make to bring them to a point where they're comfortable engaging with their parents."

When asked about what those "supports" would look like, Cockrill said, "we're going to make sure that in the implementation plans with the 27 school divisions that there are supports offered to those students."

Cockrill said he has heard from parents who did not know their child was going by a different name or pronoun at school.

New Health Minister Everett Hindley said he had not heard a similar story from a parent.

"We've had a number of people contact my office in Swift Current, on both sides of this issue, but vastly in support of the government's position," Hindley said.

On Tuesday, the University of Regina's Pride Centre for Sexuality and Gender Diversity (UR PRIDE) called for the government to shelve the policy.

Egale Canada and McCarthy Tétrault have signed up as co-legal counsels to UR Pride. They sent a letter to Minister Cockrill saying they will engage in legal action if the policy is not retracted by 5 p.m. CST Wednesday.

They say the policy violates the rights of gender-diverse students under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

On Tuesday, the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations called for the government to apologize and repeal the policy, saying it "puts our Two-Spirit LGBTQ+ relatives in danger and at risk in a space that is meant to keep all people safe."

"The Saskatchewan government has a history of failing to consult with the appropriate parties when developing policies. Before enacting a bad policy that harms many of our sacred people within the education system, FSIN calls on the Ministry of Education to properly engage with Two-Spirit LGBTQ+ people, 2SLGBTQ+ advocacy groups, researchers, educators, and Indigenous people," said FSIN Chief Chiefs Bobby Cameron.

The provincial Opposition said the policies will endanger young people who may not feel safe.

"It's disappointing to see the new minister and the premier not back down from their changes, which we do know will hurt vulnerable kids in their classrooms. We've been clear from the start this directive needs to be scrapped," said Opposition house leader Nicole Sarauer.

Hindley, a Swift Current MLA, takes over as minister of health from Saskatoon Silverspring-Sutherland MLA Paul Merriman, who's now the minister of corrections, policing and public safety and minister responsible for the firearms secretariat.

Carr will take on the job as the minister of highways. Wood River MLA David Marit will add being minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency to his portfolio.

Tim McLeod, the MLA for Moose Jaw North, is entering cabinet for the first time to cover Hindley's previous role as the minister of mental health and addictions, seniors and rural and remote health.

Regina Wascana Plains MLA Christine Tell is now the environment minister after Arm River MLA Dana Skoropad announced he will not be seeking re-election next year.

Prince Albert Carleton MLA Joe Hargrave also returns to cabinet as the minister of SaskBuilds and procurement.

with files from The Canadian Press and Shlok Talati