Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills MLA and Wildrose Party house leader Nathan Cooper says the provincial government may have been right to expand its cabinet from 13 to 19 ministers.
The new cabinet was unveiled last week.
“I think having a small, efficient cabinet is important and that would likely be reflected in a Wildrose government. But a cabinet can be so small that it creates restrictions in order for the government to be efficient,” Cooper said.
“I think that expanding needed to take place and it's my hope that the government will be able to be more responsive to all Albertans now.”
He cited tourism as an example of an industry that, in Cooper's view was damaged by the previous smaller cabinet. (Ricardo Miranda is the minister of the newly-created culture and tourism department).
Miranda was in Olds on Wednesday -- the day after his appointment -- to unveil a new partnership between Olds College, the Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) and the provincial government to produce training videos to improve the skills of front-line hotel and hospitality workers.
“Tourism is the third largest industry in Alberta and I've spoken to many stakeholders who say that the tourism minister has been far too busy on the education file to give the tourism file the attention that it needs and deserves,” Cooper said.
“So to make the education minister only have one portfolio, it's our hope that ministries will be able to focus on the jobs at hand much more now than being even as divided as they were.”
"I think that expanding needed to take place and it's my hope that the government will be able to be more responsive to all Albertans now."NATHAN COOPEROLDS-DIDSBURY-THREE HILLS MLA
