Holt leans on Saint John, Moncton-area MLAs in her N.B. cabinet picks

Premier-designate Susan Holt has unveiled her list of cabinet ministers one day before they are to be sworn in to form a new Liberal government.

Holt has tapped two-term Bathurst MLA Ren Legacy for a major role, naming him deputy premier, minister of finance and the treasury board, and minister of energy, according to a statement released Friday morning.

WATCH | Which Liberal MLAs landed which jobs in cabinet:

Holt unveils new Liberal cabinet ministers

9 days ago

Duration 2:35

Premier-designate Susan Holt leaned on the greater Saint John and Moncton areas when she chose the next New Brunswick cabinet.

As was widely expected, Dr. John Dornan, the former Horizon Health CEO and newly elected member for Saint John-Portland-Simonds, will be minister of health, in charge of implementing major commitments that were at the heart of the Liberal election campaign.

Other newcomers in the greater Saint John area where the Liberals won a majority of seats in the election include Saint John Harbour MLA David Hickey as housing minister, Rothesay MLA Alyson Townsend as minister of post-secondary education, training and labour, and Quispamsis MLA Aaron Kennedy as minister of local government.

Hampton-Fundy-St. Martins MLA John Herron is also in cabinet as minister of natural resources.

The new cabinet will be sworn in during a ceremony at the legislature Saturdayat 2 p.m.

All MLAs elected from all parties on Oct. 21 will take their oaths earlier in the day, at 11 a.m.

Including Holt, six of the 19 ministers will be women.

Besides Holt and Townsend, they are: Education Minister Claire Johnson; Social Development Minister Cindy Miles; Tourism, Heritage and Culture Minister Isabelle Thriault; and Minister for Seniors and Women's Equality Lyne Chantal Boudreau.

Holt had a large number of Moncton-area MLAs to choose from.

In addition to Johnson and Boudreau, Rob McKee will become minister of justice and attorney general and will also have cabinet responsibility for addictions and mental health.

And Robert Gauvin, a former Progressive Conservative minister who quit the Higgs government and ran against Holt for the Liberal leadership, becomes minister of public safety and minister for La Francophonie.

Other ministers include:

• Chuck Chiasson as minister of transportation and infrastructure.

• Keith Chiasson as minister of Indigenous affairs.

• Luke Randall as minister of economic development and minister responsible for Opportunities New Brunswick, N.B. Liquor and Cannabis N.B.

• Gilles Le Page as minister of environment and climate change, and for the Regional Development Corporation.

• Pat Finnigan as minister of agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries.

• Jean-Claude D'Amours as minister of intergovernmental affairs and minister responsible for immigration.

Holt announced five other Liberal MLAs will hold key roles in the legislature.

She said her caucus will vote for Madawaska Les Lacs-Edmundston MLA Francine Landry to become Speaker in an election by all MLAs.

Veteran Liberals Guy Arseneault and Benot Bourque will be deputy speakers.

Belle-Baie-Belledune MLA Marco LeBlanc will manage the government's legislative agenda as government house leader and Shediac-Cap-Acadie MLA Jacques LeBlanc will be the government whip.