19-person N.B. cabinet announced ahead of Saturday's swearing-in

A 19-person cabinet has been announced in New Brunswick, the day before Saturday’s swearing-in for the premier and ministers.

Susan Holt will make history when she becomes the province’s first woman premier, with a ceremony and public reception scheduled in Fredericton.

Francine Landry will also make history on Saturday when she’s sworn in as the first woman Francophone speaker of the legislative assembly.

The full list of executive council members to be sworn-in include:

• Susan Holt – premier, president of the Executive Council, minister responsible for Official Languages
• René Legacy – deputy premier, minister of Finance and Treasury Board, minister responsible for Energy, minister responsible for the Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act
• Rob McKee – minister of Justice, attorney general, minister responsible for Addictions and Mental Health Services
• Dr. John Dornan – minister of Health
• Claire Johnson – minister of Education and Early Childhood Development
• Keith Chiasson – minister of Indigenous Affairs
• Cindy Miles – minister of Social Development, minister responsible for the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation
• Chuck Chiasson – minister of Transportation and Infrastructure
• Gilles LePage – minister of Environment and Climate Change, minister responsible for the Regional Development Corporation
• Aaron Kennedy – minister of Local Government, minister responsible for Service New Brunswick
• Isabelle Thériault – minister of Tourism, Heritage and Culture
• Robert Gauvin – minister of Public Safety, minister responsible for la Francophonie
• Alyson Townsend – minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, minister responsible for the Research and Productivity Council, minister responsible for the Regulatory Accountability and Reporting Act
• John Herron – minister of Natural Resources
• Pat Finnigan – minister of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries
• Lyne Chantal Boudreau – minister responsible for Seniors, minister responsible for Women’s Equality
• Jean-Claude D’Amours – minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, minister responsible for Immigration, minister responsible for Military Affairs
• David Hickey – minister responsible for the New Brunswick Housing Corporation
• Luke Randall – minister responsible for Opportunities NB, minister responsible for Economic Development and Small Business, minister responsible for NB Liquor and Cannabis NB

Guy Arseneault and Benoit Bourque will serve as deputy speakers, while Marco LeBlanc will serve as government house leader. Jacques LeBlanc will act as government whip.

A notable name in Holt’s cabinet is former Horizon Health Network president and CEO Dr. John Dornan, who is taking on the government’s largest portfolio: health. Dornan was fired from Horizon in 2022 by former Progressive Conservative Premier Blaine Higgs, and later awarded $2 million in damages and compensation.

“To be a CEO was an experience that I quite enjoyed and now I have an opportunity to be at another level where you can work with colleagues and government,” Dornan told reporters on Friday.

Housing has been split from Social Development, with first-time MLA David Hickey taking on responsibilities for the New Brunswick Housing Corporation.

“I think it shows the urgency this government is bringing to this file,” said Hickey. “It shows the need that communities across the province are facing, whether it’s around homelessness or the need for affordable housing. To me, we have a premier who is ready to take this on.”

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.