N.S. premier announces Treasury Board members, new House leader

Premier Tim Houston has announced more key appointments as his government settles into its second mandate.

An order-in-council dated last Thursday, the same day Houston's new cabinet was sworn in, shows that Environment Minister Tim Halman will chair the Treasury and Policy Board, the powerful committee that sets spending plans and policies for government operations.

Joining Halman in the group is Seniors and Long-term Care Minister Barb Adams, Finance Minister John Lohr, Agriculture Minister Greg Morrow, Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Kent Smith, Public Works Minister Fred Tilley and Social Development Minister Scott Armstrong.

For Tilley, the announcement comes as another win following his decision just before the provincial election call in October to cross the floor from the Liberals to join the Progressive Conservatives. At the time, Tilley was open about his desire to join cabinet and help shape provincial budgets.

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Meanwhile, Houston announced Monday that newly minted Education Minister Brendan Maguire will be the new PC government House leader in the legislature.

It's the job of the government House leader to shepherd bills through the legislature and to try to work with the opposition party House leaders to ensure the law-making process proceeds in an orderly fashion. This proved a difficult task at times during the Tories' first mandate.

Maguire, who left the Liberals earlier this year to join the Tory caucus and cabinet, replaces Emergency Management Minister Kim Masland. Masland was the PC House leader during the government's first term in office.

The Tories announced that Hants West MLA Melissa Sheehy-Richard will serve as deputy House leader. Kings West MLA Chris Palmer is the party's new whip, Hants East MLA John MacDonald becomes caucus chair and Victoria-The Lakes MLA Dianne Timmins begins her time as a newly elected official at Province House as deputy PC caucus chair.

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