2 THE INTERLAKE SPECTATOR Friday, November 13, 2009

Nevakshonoff has new assignments

By Heather Robbins Interlake riding MLA Tom Nevakshonoff ays he?s looking forward to starting work s legislative assistant to the provincial onservation minister after Premier Greg elinger?s first Cabinet shuffle recently. ?I?ve also requested the premier expand y duties to include the Ministry of nfrastructure and Transportation,? said evakshonoff. ?The premier has indicated hat shouldn?t be a problem so I guess at this oint I?m assured both departments.? Legislative assistants gain experience ssociated with Cabinet positions and have nput into government decisions while proiding ministers with support and contact ith citizens and communities. Nevakshonoff says he hopes to be more nvolved as a Conservation and Infrastructure nd Transportation assistant than in his forer position with Agriculture. ?I was with Agriculture for roughly 10 ears and it?s important to my constituency,? aid Nevakshonoff. ?I have an abiding interst in it that?s not going to disappear because f my duties to the other departments. I just hink I?ve learned as much as I can as a legslative assistant there and I look forward to orking in Conservation and Infrastructure, s they?re both important files for rural reas. Conservation controls wildlife by argeting problem wildlife, which affect armers while modern and up-to-date infratructure is fundamental to the basis of oing business in farming. ?I?ve always felt the government could do ost for rural areas. When highways are estricted to 65 per cent of normal loads, hich is less than the weight of an empty ruck, for a period of three months in a year, hat?s a considerable hardship. It?s hard nough to produce a competitive product ithout being bottlenecked by infrastrucure.? Nevakshonoff will likely focus on drainge while with Infrastructure. ?Drains are mainly the domain of Water tewardship, with licensing provincial rains, but Infrastructure is responsible for he major purchases in respect to capital

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Nevakshonoff, left, with former premier Doer at media scrum, is pleased to work with important rural ministries. work,? said Nevakshonoff. ?Drainage is the most important part of the ministry. It might seem like a mundane topic to anyone not involved in agriculture, but those who are know it?s critical.? Nevakshonoff says he?s looking forward to working with new Infrastructure Minister Steve Ashton. ?I get along with the new minister; I came out for him during the leadership convention,? said Nevakshonoff. ?He was with the department many years ago and he?s aware of the challenges rural areas, particularly the Interlake, face. He was the first minister under Infrastructure when we elected back in 1999 and he began to do capital upgrades to provincials roads and provincial trunk highways such as Hwy. 7 and Hwy. 68. He?s given me a lot of responsibility over the drainage file, so it?s quite a giant leap forward from a legislative perspective. I?m meeting with the senior staff later this week to discuss an approach on my part.? Nevakshonoff is also looking forward to working in Conservation with new Minister Bill Blaikie. ?My heart is truly in Conservation,? said Nevakshonoff. ?I?ve been involved with natural resources all my life and my constituency boundaries include lakes Winnipeg and Manitoba, so I?ve dealt with fishers? various issues for years. I have eight First Nations in my constituency and all natural resources issues pertain to them. I have a brother-in-law who?s a Conservation Officer. I also have a friend in Conservation that I?ve had a good relationship over the years and he?s kept me informed on issues. As well, I look forward to working with Mr. Blaikie, as he?s a pillar in our party. He was in parliament for 30 years and it?s hard to find a man more committed to the party.?

CHANGES FOR BJORNSON, DEWAR

Nevakshonoff isn?t the only Interlake MLA to change titles. Gimli MLA Peter Bjornson will now serve as Minister of Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade, formerly known as Competitiveness, Training

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File and Trade. ?I was on the eve on the sixth anniversary as Education Minister, which made me the second longest serving education minister in Manitoba history,? said Bjornson. ?So, I was ready for a change when I asked the premier for a new role and I?m ready for my new responsibilities.? Bjornson said his role includes occasionally joining businesses on trade missions to areas targeted by businesses such as Europe, Asia and Africa. ?I?m really excited about the training aspect as the former education minister,? said Bjornson. ?The Department of Education has been cooperating on a lot of exciting new initiatives, such as planning 4,000 new seats for technical training programs, and I?m interested in stepping up and delivering this initiative. The entrepreneurial focus is managing different programs to support Manitoba businesses as well as the Single Windows for Businesses Initiative, eliminating red tape in processes and creating better access to available regulations and programs.? Selkirk MLA and former government whip Greg Dewar will now serve as the legislative assistant for the Ministry of Finance as well as vice chairperson of the Public Accounts committee. ?I served the caucus as whip for 10 years and I?ve enjoyed that, but I felt it was time for a change,? said Dewar. ?The whip?s job is to deal primarily with house procedures and ensuring MLAs are present for votes and moving the government?s agenda forward.? Dewar says he?s looking forward to working with new Finance Minister Rosann Wowchuk, who?ll be meeting Manitobans to get their input on the coming budget and the challenges the province faces. ?I hope I?m ultimately judged not by the role I play here, but as an MLA,? said Dewar. ?We?re all accountable to our constituents and that?s what I?m hoping they?ll ultimately judge me on in the next campaign.?

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