When I was appointed in spring as the Minister of Health, Seniors and Active Living I was also asked by our Premier to continue to serve as Government House Leader for the spring session and to work on mentoring a new incoming House Leader. Last week, it became official with the appointment of MLA for Rossmere Andrew Micklefield as our government’s House Leader.
I’ve had the privilege of knowing Andrew for several years and have enjoyed working with him since his election to the Legislature. Over the last four months, Andrew has also served as my legislative assistant in the Department of Health, Seniors and Active Living and during that time, he has shown that he is a detail-oriented and highly collaborative individual and has served our government well as we approach the fall session. I am confident that he will excel in his new role and serve both the new government and Manitobans well.
I have enjoyed the opportunity over the past several years to serve as the House Leader in opposition and during the spring session in government. It is an opportunity to not only work with your own colleagues to help manage the agenda and issues of the Legislature, but also to work with all members of the Legislative Assembly, regardless of political affiliation. That has been one of the most enjoyable parts of the role.
Over the years that I was the Progressive Conservative House Leader, I worked with six different NDP House Leaders. While there were of course different views on how issues should be handled many times, most often there was good cooperation to ensure the legislature worked in the best interests of its members and Manitobans. Most notably, significant rule reform happened during this time that will ensure the Legislature works in a more predictable and transparent manner that will improve democracy in our province.
With Mr. Micklefield now taking over this role, I look forward to being able to dedicate more focus to the work associated with the Health, Seniors and Active Living portfolio. I know that he, as I did, will benefit from the dedication and expertise of the Manitoba Legislative staff that is led by the Clerk’s Office. I am especially thankful for their help during my tenure as House Leader.
