Moving forward, Jeremy Harrison and Jeremy Cockrill will be a part of the provincial cabinet. (file/battlefordsNOW Staff/Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

By battlefordsNOW and meadowlakeNOW Staff

New minister

Cockrill named Minister of Highways, Harrison retains roles

May 31, 2022 | 1:19 PM

The Battlefords Jeremy Cockrill was among Members of the Legislative Assembly in Saskatchewan that are taking on new cabinet positions this week.

Premier Scott Moe announced the changes Tuesday, focused on targets set in the government’s Plan for Growth. While the size of the provincial cabinet remains unchanged at 18, five MLAs remain in cabinet with new portfolios and two will enter for the first time.

Cockrill, one of the two new faces, becomes the Minister of Highways, with responsibility for the Water Security Agency.

When the Premier asks you to serve the province in this role, it’s very humbling,” he said.

Cockrill added it’s also very exciting to highlight the connection of the Battlefords to the interests of the province in getting products to market. This can include agricultural goods, oil and gas and potash.

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“There’s a pretty strong link between the economic success of this province and the quality of our infrastructure,” Cockrill said.

The role will also require the Battlefords representative to go across the province and provide him opportunities to meet with a variety of communities.

“I’m excited to get on the road, no pun intended,” Cockrill said. “Getting a sense of those types of projects all over the province,”

Several projects are taking place around the Battlefords this summer, including roadwork in the Battlefords Provincial Park and a functional study on Highway 4 north of the City. Cockrill added that he’s also looking forward to working with the Water Security Agency, with the Lake Diefenbaker project high on the list of priorities.

Responsibilities maintained

Meadow Lake’s Jeremy Harrison will continue in his capacity of several roles in cabinet. He remains Minister of Trade and Export Development, as well as Minister of Immigration and Career Training and Minister Responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan and Tourism Saskatchewan.

Harrison said he’s honoured to remain a part of Moe’s cabinet.

“I appreciate the opportunity to serve and it continues to be a lot of work going forward.”

The MLA’s main focus is on the investment attraction component. Harrison opined that the province has had success over the past year, with $14 billion in projects, huge private sector investment and more to come

“My job is to make sure that it happens here in Saskatchewan compared to the rest of the world,” he said. “That means engaging internationally, within North America and in Canada to make sure investment comes to Saskatchewan. Because ultimately, that is what creates jobs for people in this province.”

Harrison added that he’s optimistic about the future in Saskatchewan, given the goods that other countries want and the amount of investment in recent years.

“We have the food, fuel and fertilize that world needs and is chasing right now,” he said. “I think it will be on the cusp of something quite special in this province.”

Among the House Leadership announcements, Harrison will continue to serve as Government House Leader. Of the five MLAs in cabinet with new portfolios, Bronwyn Eyre becomes Saskatchewan’s first-ever female Minister of Justice and Attorney General.

Opposition disapproval

In a statement from Ryan Meili, the Saskatchewan NDP criticized the cabinet changes, which kept most of the members intact. Particular focus was on Paul Merriman as Health Minister.

The full list of appointments is available here.

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cjnbnews@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW