Cabinet Shuffle adds responsibilities for Hargrave

Yesterday’s cabinet shuffle has added two new portfolios to one Prince Albert MLA’s plate.

Prince Albert – Carlton MLA Joe Hargrave is now the minister responsible for Sasktel and SaskEnergy following the step down of several ministers in pursuit of the SaskParty leadership.

“I love to be busy, and I’d much rather be busy than not, and I’m looking forward to it,” Hargrave said. “They got great staff at both SaskEnergy and Sasktel, as well as the ones I already deal with… I think it’ll all work out.”

Hargrave is also the minister responsible for Crown Investments Corporation and Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI). He said he’s now anxious to learn about his new portfolios and see where he can take them.

Over the next year Hargrave said he hoped to keep Sasktel on the same playing field as other communications providers in the province.

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“We know we have to be competitive, that is the kind of business that’s in. All these other providers are in the province as well, and if we’re not competitive we know people will switch,” Hargrave said.

In a scrum on Aug. 30, Premier Brad Wall announced the SaskParty would be reconsidering Bill 40, which was passed this spring. The bill allowed for the sale of up to 49 percent of crown corporations to private businesses.

Hargrave, now the minister responsible for two crown corporations, weighed in on the SaskParty’s back-pedaling.

“We’ll wait and see what that means,” Hargrave said. “The premier said he had heard from the people, and the MLAs…and he might be reconsidering [Bill 40], so we’ll meet and see where that takes us.”

The MLA has meetings scheduled next to plan the approach going forward.

Bryan.Eneas@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @BryanEneas