News Release

FREDERICTON (GNB) – Changes in the senior ranks of the civil service were announced today by Premier Brian Gallant. The changes, which take effect April 25, will bring a renewed focus on the provincial government’s priorities of job creation, education and better services for families.

“Our government is focused on New Brunswick’s priorities of jobs, education and health care,” said Gallant. “Changing how we lead and organize the government to focus on these priorities will lead to better results.”

The provincial government has already established the Jobs Board Secretariat and the Strategic Program Review Secretariat to drive cross-departmental collaboration in complex priority areas. To complement this work and build on best practices established by the British, Ontario and Canadian governments, priority units will be established and led by deputy ministers with mandates to oversee cross-departmental initiatives to significantly reduce silo thinking so it does not interfere with results for New Brunswickers.

Judy Wagner will become clerk of the Executive Council and head of the public service. She will oversee the development and expansion of this new management style across the five priority units, which will be as follows:

• the Jobs Priority Unit will be led by Jacques Pinet, CEO of the Jobs Board Secretariat;

• the Education Priority Unit will be led by Jean-Marc Dupuis, deputy minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour;

• the Families Priority Unit will be led by Craig Dalton, deputy minister of Social Development;

• the Federal-Provincial Relations Priority Unit will be led by Bill Levesque, deputy minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and president of the Regional Development Corporation; and

• the Fiscal Responsibility and Strategic Program Review Priority Unit will be led by Gordon Gilman, deputy minister and secretary to the Treasury Board.

The government is also following through on its commitment to decrease the number of departments. With this leadership change begins the merging of two sets of departments, decreasing the number of departments by two.

The Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Energy and Mines will be merged into a single Department of Energy and Resource Development. This is similar to how the provincial government was structured prior to 2006.

The Department of Justice and the Department of Public Safety will be merged into a single Department of Justice and Public Safety.

The responsibilities for financial consumer services will be moved to the Department of Finance. Additionally, the Department of Human Resources and parts of the Department of Finance, the Executive Council Office and Service New Brunswick with responsibility for human resources, expenditure management and fiscal oversight, and information management will be merged into a new Treasury Board‎.

A deputy minister responsible for intergovernmental affairs will be appointed distinct from the deputy minister of the Executive Council Office to allow for greater focus on opportunities for New Brunswick in federal-provincial relations.

Gallant thanked Edith Doucet who is retiring from her position as clerk of the Executive Council and head of the public service after a 33-year career with the provincial government.

“Edith has been a leader for many years, most notably as deputy minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, deputy minister of Social Development, deputy minister of Healthy and Inclusive Communities, and finally as head of the public service,” said Gallant. “Her service and dedication to task is second to none and we wish her well in her retirement.”

Gallant recognized Sadie Perron who has acted as deputy minister of Transportation and Infrastructure since February 2015. He also thanked Tom Mann, formerly deputy minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, for his dedication over the years as he retires from the civil service.

A permanent CEO of the new Service New Brunswick will be recruited through a merit-based process led by a private-sector firm in keeping with the government’s commitment. Three other positions (deputy attorney general, deputy minister of Finance and deputy minister of Tourism, Heritage and Culture) will also be filled following a merit-based process. In keeping with its commitment to increase the number of women in positions of influence, the provincial government will seek to fill a majority of these jobs with female candidates.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a complete list of deputy ministers, deputy heads and presidents of Part I Crown corporations (* denotes a change or addition):

• Judy Wagner*, clerk of the Executive Council and head of the public service, secretary to cabinet and deputy minister of the Executive Council Office;

• Jean Finn*, deputy minister of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries and deputy minister of Energy and Resource Development;

• John McLaughlin, deputy minister of Education and Early Childhood Development (anglophone sector);

• Gérald Richard, deputy minister of Education and Early Childhood Development (francophone sector);

• Kelli Simmonds*, deputy minister of Environment and Local Government and deputy attorney general (interim);

• Tom Maston, deputy minister of Health;

• Bill Levesque*, deputy minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and president of the Regional Development Corporation;

• Johanne Bray, deputy minister of Justice and Public Safety;

• Jean-Marc Dupuis*, deputy minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour;

• Craig Dalton, deputy minister of Social Development;

• Kelly Cain*, deputy minister of Transportation and Infrastructure and deputy minister of Tourism, Heritage and Culture (interim);

• Gordon Gilman*, deputy minister and secretary to the Treasury Board, deputy minister of Finance (interim) and CEO of Service New Brunswick (interim);

• Patrick Francis, deputy minister of Aboriginal Affairs;

• Judith Keating, the provincial government’s First Nations representative;

• Jacques Pinet, CEO of the Jobs Board Secretariat; and

• Stephen Lund, CEO of Opportunities NB.