Prince Albert Northcote MLA Alana Ross. (www.legassembly.sk.ca)

By Susan McNeil

Politics

Alana Ross busier as MLA

May 31, 2022 | 4:00 PM

Alana Ross will be busier in her role as MLA with the added jobs of deputy whip and Legislative Secretary for Forestry.

Ross found out this morning in a phone call that she was named to the new positions.

“It always takes you by surprise. You know it’s a real honour and I’ll do whatever is asked of me to serve the people of our constituency,” says Ross of her reaction to the call.

As deputy whip, she will be helping make sure MLAs are in attendance when the legislature is sitting and that there are enough people there for quorum.

Ross said she wants to learn more about the various parts of government and likes the challenge.

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“It’s an exciting time and it’s an opportunity for growth for me and I appreciate that and that’s always been something that’s very important to me,” she stated.

Ross was also named as the secretary for forestry in the Ministry of Energy and Resources, which she said is a good move given the increased forestry activity Prince Albert will soon be seeing as the pulp mill prepares to re-open and the nearby OSB mill is being built.

“When you think about the opportunity that we have here for forestry, that’s an important position,” Ross said.

She has had two tours of the pulp mill and has been in discussion on the OSB mill.

Previously, along with the job of representing Prince Albert Northcote, Ross was named to the Human Services committee, the board of the Internal Economy and the board of the Canadian Parliamentary Association for Saskatchewan.

“They’ve all been great because you learn so much with each job,” Ross said.

Other changes include the replacement of Carrot River Valley MLA Fred Bradshaw as Minister of Highways with Jeremy Cockrill, who represents the Battlefords area.

Donna Harpauer kept her job as Minister of Finance and Melfort MLA Todd Goudy is the legislative secretary for the Minister of Education.

In what the opposition NDP party said is a telling move, Paul Merriman has stayed on as Minister of Health.

“Under his leadership, Saskatchewan had the worst response to the fourth wave of the pandemic, the highest COVID death rate, senior health leaders continue to leave the province, and he’s fostered a divisive relationship with our health-care workers. Maintaining him in this role sends a clear signal to frontline workers and will create clear challenges when it comes to the retention and recruitment of health-care workers to this province,” the party said in an emailed statement.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow