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19 January 2007

Cabinet shuffle at 11:00 AM

Let's see if Jerome Kennedy is appointed.

Bond Papers first raised the idea on December 29.

Jerome denied it, but then your humble e-scribbler clarified the point.

Update [1230 hrs]:

No Jerome.

A few people were moved around Shawn Skinner and Ross Wiseman were added to cabinet as, respectively the minister of human resources and health minister. Tom Osborne moved from Health to Justice, while Tom Rideout [right:The province's new chief prosecutor] takes on the job of Attorney General in addition to his others jobs.

Paul Shelley announced his retirement from politics when the legislature is next dissolved for an election. In the way this sort of retirement would normally be handled, he was simply sent to the back benches, no harm, no foul. Note the difference between Shelley and Loyola Sullivan despite the apparent similarity in their situations and stories.

On the face of it, this is a minor shuffle to address the consequences of Sullivan's resignation. It certainly doesn't look like the sort of re-organization one might expect in advance of an election.

That shuffle - if it comes at all - will come after the budget, most likely.