Darrell Dexter's new cabinet is officially sworn in

Darrell Dexter and Mayann Francis

Premier Darrell Dexter received a tumultuous round of applause last evening at the Cunard Centre on the Halifax waterfront when he pointed out two historic "firsts" at the swearing-in ceremony for his new NDP government.

"This was the first time that an African Nova Scotian administered the oath of office to swear in a new government," he said referring to the presence of Lieutenant-Governor Mayann Francis, the Queen's representative in Nova Scotia.

"And this is Nova Scotia's first NDP government."

After the applause finally subsided, the new premier added, "I cannot fully express my feelings about the men and women, and I see a number of them here with us today, who spent most of their long lives working for the NDP without hope of favour or victory. You shaped the values and the principles that distinguish the NDP."

The values and principles Dexter mentioned were represented on the stage behind him in various ways by the four women and seven men who had just been sworn in as cabinet ministers. Maureen MacDonald, a former professor of social work, for example, represents the party's traditional concerns for the poor and the powerless. But surprisingly, she has been handed responsibility for health care, a massively complex, bureaucratic system that swallows almost 40 per cent of the province's $8.3 billion annual budget.

MacDonald, known for her brains, ambition and hard work, may indeed be the best person to take on the headaches of health care, but her main area of expertise lies in the work of the Community Services department which oversees such things as welfare, housing and supports for families and the disabled. The Community Services portfolio went instead to Denise Peterson-Rafuse, the brand-new NDP MLA from Chester who has been working as a program co-ordinator for the provincial Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Meanwhile, Bill Estabrooks, a long-time teacher with considerable knowledge of issues facing the province's schools, is not the new Minister of Education, but instead, will handle Transportation and Energy. Marilyn More, a Dexter loyalist from Dartmouth, has been given the education portfolio --- a full-time job in itself --- but she will also have to tackle labour. (It remains to be seen how the 12-member cabinet manages its heavy workload.)

Although the new ministers represent a broad range of NDP social concerns, it was notable that Howard Epstein was excluded. Epstein has represented a downtown Halifax riding for more than 10-years and is, among other things, an outspoken campaigner on municipal issues and environmental concerns.

Last fall, he was the only MLA to vote against a bill enabling the Halifax Regional Municipality to adopt its overall planning document known as HRM By Design. During an eloquent speech in the legislature, Epstein argued that the new design scheme was undemocratic because it would exclude the general public from debates and decisions over downtown development. It may be that Epstein's tendency to think and act for himself made him appear to Darrell Dexter and his inner circle as a "non-team player" and therefore, unsuitable for cabinet, at least for now.

When a reporter asked why Epstein had been shut out of the cabinet, Dexter fudged saying there were many "permutations and combinations" to be considered in choosing his cabinet and he thought that overall, he had chosen the best team, one that represents virtually every part of the province.

It's a cliche to say it of course, but time will tell if Darrell Dexter is right.

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