Two of Newfoundland and Labrador’s top politicians shuffled into new cabinet positions Wednesday morning. Tom Osborne, former head of the Department for Education, will now take over as health secretary, replacing John Hagee. Hagy, a former surgeon who guided the province through the COVID-19 pandemic, is now education minister. Prime Minister Andrew Furey congratulated Haggie as one of the longest-serving health ministers of all time. “And they were not easy times,” he told reporters. “There’s criticism everywhere across the country right now, with emergency department closings, stress and pressure on nurses, on doctors. Doctor recruitment issues. It’s not just here.” PC leader David Brazil welcomed the reshuffle, which he called long overdue. “Unfortunately, the former minister was the only person who did not acknowledge that we are in a health care crisis and come up with a collaborative plan that would empower the health worker, empower the organizations they represent. and most importantly it will improve health care and access to it,” Brazil told reporters Wednesday afternoon. “This is a new, fresh start. We hope it goes in the right direction.” Interim PC leader David Brazil welcomes a change to the health portfolio. (Terry Roberts/CBC) Brazil said he hopes Osborne brings a fresh perspective to the portfolio and works more closely with medical professionals – who he says had a poor working relationship with Haggie. He believes Osborne’s first priority should be to overhaul the Health Accord, a plan that calls for dramatic changes in health care spending over the next 10 years, to be more open and transparent and to reach out to organizations and the public to listen to what I have to say. “Ask people for their input, ask them to be open about the best ways health care could be delivered in areas here,” he said. “It’s a big task, but with the right attitude and the right approach … the solutions are there.” NDP Leader Jim Dinn, in a statement Wednesday afternoon, questioned the timing of the shuffle. “Will this cause delays in action while these ministers fast-track these new portfolios? Or will they not bother and start with cuts to services that have been planned since then? Their track record doesn’t exactly inspire confidence,” the statement read. Osborne, a former Liberal finance minister, also served as health minister under Danny Williams’ Progressive Conservative government in the mid-2000s. Osborne led the Department of Health during a political scandal over how hundreds of breast cancer patients received faulty test results through the health authority now known as Eastern Health. He testified at an inquest that he was not told about the mistake. The inquiry, led by Justice Margaret Cameron, found that top health officials hid mistakes from the provincial government. In her March 2009 report, Cameron ruled that “there has been a failure of both accountability and oversight at all levels”.
Haggie faced increasing challenges
Hagee, meanwhile, has led the Department of Health since the Liberals took power in 2015, most recently dealing with more than two years of COVID-19 regulations and a cyber attack on the health system last year. The reshuffle comes at a time of heightened tension for the department, which has recently been plagued by staff shortages at its four health authorities, a shortage of family doctors and long waiting times for mental health care. On Wednesday, Hagee rattled off a list of achievements in his seven years as health minister and said it was a “natural time” to switch portfolios. “Perfect timing, perfect opportunity to look forward to something new and I’m really excited about the prospects in education,” he said. New Education Minister John Haggie says he has some teaching experience. (Patrick Butler/Radio-Canada) Despite his strong medical background, Haggie said he is also involved in adult education, having taught medical students. “I bring a different perspective,” Hagi said. “I feel like I have a passing acquaintance with it … I think I bring a critical mind and an analytical approach.” The ministry as it stands is also groaning under the weight of health care costs, which consume about 40 percent of the province’s budget. Prime Minister Andrew Fury announced the reshuffle on Wednesday morning. (Patrick Butler/Radio-Canada) Premier Andrew Furey has pledged to revamp the system through Health Accord NL In its final report, released last month, the Health Accord team recommended the department create a provincial ambulance system, merge the four health authorities and create a virtual emergency service over the next 10 years, among dozens of other proposals. Osborne will now take on those hurdles, noting to reporters Wednesday that recruitment and retention, which the province has struggled with in recent years, is a global problem. “One thing that motivates me is a challenge,” he said. Interim NDP Leader Jim Dinn is questioning the timing of the reshuffle, especially as the province prepares to merge its school districts into a single board under the Ministry of Education. “When it comes to this transition piece, I hope that Minister Haggie will be aware of the many parts of the job. But to be honest with you, I’m a little worried because both of them have not provided any inspiration,” Dinn said. former teacher, told CBC Radio’s On The Go Wednesday. NDP Interim Leader Jim Dinn speaks to reporters on June 28, 2022. (Patrick Butler/CBC-Radio Canada) Dean says he hopes Haggie, who has no educational background, can learn from the “mistakes and mistakes” he made in his now-former portfolio, saying he believes Haggie has underperformed in recent years. Like Brazil, he hopes both ministers will bring increased transparency to their work. “Both ministers have had a terrible lack of transparency on many issues. This is something that has to stop, I don’t care who is in charge,” he said. Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
