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Finally, a cabinet minister from Estevan

For the first time in more than 25 years, the Estevan constituency is going to have a cabinet minister. Premier Scott Moe announced a cabinet shuffle on Wednesday, and Estevan MLA Lori Carr was elevated to cabinet.

For the first time in more than 25 years, the Estevan constituency is going to have a cabinet minister.

Premier Scott Moe announced a cabinet shuffle on Wednesday, and Estevan MLA Lori Carr was elevated to cabinet. And she didn’t get an easy gig, either, as she gets to be the minister of Highways and Infrastructure.

It’s likely one of the most difficult posts in cabinet. You’re always a lightning rod for controversy. The minister of Highways and Infrastructure usually only receives calls from angry ratepayers who aren’t happy that they damaged a tire on a pothole big enough to swallow a small car.

There’s no shortage of highways in the southeast in need of improvement, either. There are issues with Highway 47 south of Estevan and north of Stoughton, Highway 350 south of Torquay, Highway 361 and 318 in the Alida area, Highway 18 in the Oungre area, and many more.

And, of course, there’s the lingering frustration associated with the government’s decision to proceed with passing lanes instead of twinning for Highways 39 and 6 from Estevan to Regina.

(Psst, Ms. Carr, if we are stuck with passing lanes, can we get them built from Estevan to Weyburn sooner rather than later?)

So imagine how many highways are in need of improvements across the province, when we have no problem rattling off several troublesome routes within an hour of Estevan.

Carr’s post isn’t as daunting as health, education or finance, but this is still a tough one. Parks, culture and sport would likely be a softer introduction to cabinet.

So congratulations and good luck to our new cabinet minister from Estevan. She’s going to need it.

It’s also nice to have a cabinet minister from the Estevan constituency. Carr’s predecessor, Doreen Eagles, was never a minister in her 16 years as MLA, about half of which were in government. (Eagles supporters will point out she was in cabinet while an MLA, because she was the Sask. Party’s caucus chair, but we all know there’s a big difference between being in cabinet and being a cabinet minister).

Her predecessor, Larry Ward, wasn’t in cabinet when he was a New Democratic Party MLA from 1995-1999.

So we believe the last person from the Estevan riding to be a part of cabinet was Grant Devine, back when he represented the Estevan riding as the premier from 1982-1991.

Twenty-seven years is too long for a city to go without cabinet representation.

It’s advantageous to have your MLA as a cabinet minister. It creates opportunities that don’t exist for a back-bencher. It’s a position of greater influence and prestige, it enhances power come budgeting time, and it puts the elected representative closer to the decision-making process.

It’s also more work and more pressure, but you would hope your MLA can handle extra pressure.

And now that she’s the highways minister, we have a nice long list of highways we’d like to see improved.