Today, Premier Danielle Smith announced her first major cabinet shuffle at the midpoint of the UCP’s mandate, signaling a strategic reset for the second half of her term.
First up, the Ministers who remain in their existing portfolios:
Ministers Remaining
- Hon. Mike Ellis – Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services
- Hon. Mickey Amery – Minister of Justice and Deputy House Leader
- Hon. Martin Long – Minister of Infrastructure
- Hon. Nate Horner – President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance
- Hon. Brian Jean – Minister of Energy and Minerals
- Hon. Rebecca Schulz – Minister of Environment and Protected Areas
- Hon. Nate Glubish – Minister of Technology and Innovation
- Hon. Nathan Neudorf – Minister of Affordability and Utilities
- Hon. Devin Dreeshen – Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors
- Hon. RJ Sigurdson – Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation
- Hon. Todd Loewen -Minister of Forestry and Parks
- Hon. Dale Nally – Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction
- Hon. Searle Turton – Minister of Children and Family Services
- Hon. Tanya Fir – Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women
- Hon. Jason Nixon – Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services
- Hon. Demetrios Nicolaides – Minister of Education and Childcare
Notable changes—such as splitting the Health ministry in two — reflect where the Premier seeks a more focused approach as the government overhauls Alberta Health Services (AHS) and launches four new healthcare agencies: Primary Care Alberta, Acute Care Alberta, Assisted Living Alberta, and Recovery Alberta.
Andrew Boitchenko, Grant Hunter and Myles McDougall are the three new faces in Smith’s cabinet. Her new cabinet choices aim to unify the UCP caucus and strategically position the UCP for the second half of her term.
New Assignments
- Hon. Matt Jones – Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services
- Hon. Adriana LaGrange- Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services
- Hon. Rick Wilson – Minister of Mental Health and Addiction
- Hon. Myles McDougall – Minister of Advanced Education
- Hon. Rajan Sawhney – Minister of Indigenous Relations
- Hon. Joseph Schow – Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade, and Immigration
- Hon. Dan Williams – Minister of Municipal Affairs
- Hon. Andrew Boitchenko – Minister of Tourism and Sport
- Hon. Mohammed Yaseen – Associate Minister of Multiculturalism
- Hon. Grant Hunter – Associate Minister of Water
Minister Demetrios Nicolaides had childcare moved to his portfolio and becomes the Minister of Education and Childcare. Minister Jason Nixon becomes Minister of Assisted Living & Social Services to reflect his new role and oversight of Assisted Living Alberta.
Dividing the Health portfolio into Primary and Preventative Health Services and Hospital and Surgical Health Services was likely intended to make managing several high-priority files more feasible. However, the Premier’s decision to keep Minister Adriana LaGrange in a Health role is unsurprising, given Smith’s support of the Minister following the AHS procurement scandal.
Moving Matt Jones into the newly created portfolio of Hospital and Surgical Health Services appears to be a strategic move on Smith’s part, given his background in accounting and his reputation for being outcomes-driven and results-oriented. Similarly, transitioning Joseph Schow from Tourism to the more senior role of Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade, and Immigration (JETI) aligns well with his passion for promoting Alberta’s strong economic fundamentals. In this new portfolio, he will focus on attracting investment and serving as a key representative for Alberta on the global stage.
The Three New Faces in Smith’s Cabinet
Grant Hunter
- MLA for Taber-Warner, was first elected in 2015 with the Wildrose Party and joined the UCP in 2017.
- A former construction business owner, he holds degrees in economics and business.
- As Alberta’s first Associate Minister of Red Tape Reduction, he led major regulatory reforms.
- He also championed key infrastructure and agri-food projects in southern Alberta.
Andrew Boitchenko
- MLA for Drayton Valley-Devon, has entrepreneurial experience and a commitment to community service that he brings Alberta’s Legislature.
- Born in Ukraine and immigrating to Canada as a teenager, Boitchenko established himself as a successful real estate agent and property developer with over two decades in the building industry.
- Elected in May 2023, he assumed the role of Parliamentary Secretary for Indigenous Relations.
Myles McDougall
- First elected as MLA for Calgary-Fish Creek in the 2023 election.
- Prior to being elected, he was an economist and energy sector analyst for European-based banks where he advised global investment funds across Latin America, the U.S.A., and Europe.
- Founded PetroJet Canada, an oil and gas technology firm focused on reducing emission in the oil sands.
- Involved in numerous legislative committees such as the Economic Diversification Cabinet Policy Committee, and the Legislative Review Committee.
What’s next?
With Premier Smith’s latest cabinet shuffle, the political landscape in Alberta has been reset. There are three pending by-elections, and it is anticipated they will be called in the next month. One is in Edmonton Strathcona, where NDP Opposition Leader Naheed Nenshi is vying for a seat. The second will be in Olds- Didsbury -Three Hills to replace former Speaker of the Legislature Nathan Cooper, who was appointed to serve as Alberta’s senior representative in Washington. The third will be in Edmonton Ellerslie where the member vacated the seat to pursue federal politics.
The new ministerial appointments signal strategic priorities ahead of the next legislative session scheduled to return in late October, from economic messaging to managing internal party dynamics. Will fresh faces bring renewed focus, or are these moves more about optics than outcomes? As the reconfigured cabinet settles into their roles, Albertans will be watching closely to see if this shake-up delivers more than headlines — and whether it positions the UCP for political stability or further unrest in the months to come.