…and running!

The “exciting days” began with this afternoon with the swearing in of Rachel Notley’s cabinet. Only twelve people, six men and six women, including herself. This is a whole new thong in Alberta – women taking the lead. The expectation is that by the time she brings in a budget in autumn, she will shuffle her cabinet and bring in some more people. But the message is clear: we will run a lean, mean and hard working government. The Conservative’s shredding of documents (how many skeletons in closets were destroyed?) was ended, and the work started this afternoon.

The swearing in was a public event on the grounds of the legislative building, with many thousands in attendance. There were myriad children, many of them frolicking in the fountain pool on a 26 degree afternoon. It was incredibly exciting to watch young people assuming huge loads of responsibility.  One article reminded people that when Peter Lougheed took over the reins of government forty three years ago, the press made the same doom-and-gloom predictions about his youthful cabinet. But his party remained in government for forty-three years! Another government that remained in power longer was that of the Soviet Union!

Ice cream was handed round at the end of the formalities, and the doors of the Legislature were thrown open for the public to get to know “their” legislature, as Notley called it. A great start to what we all hope will be a new and fruitful era in Alberta politics. Stephen Harper, shake in your boots. Rachel Notley in Minister on Intergovernmental affairs. You will face her soon enough!