Nova Scotia keeps ag minister in post-election shuffle

Nova Scotia’s returning Progressive Conservative government has elected to keep its incumbent agriculture minister on the job.

With an expanded pool of rural MLAs following the Nov. 26 provincial election, Premier Tim Houston announced a cabinet shuffle at an event in Halifax on Dec. 12 but kept Guysborough-Tracadie MLA Greg Morrow as minister of agriculture.

Morrow also serves as minister responsible for the Atlantic Provinces Harness Racing Commission Act.

A radio journalist by profession, Morrow first entered provincial politics in the August 2021 election and was appointed ag minister that month.

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In last month’s election, Houston’s Tories boosted their majority to 43 of 55 seats, with the New Democrats holding nine seats as official opposition.

Morrow easily held his riding on election night by a spread of 2,538 votes against Liberal challenger George Grant, a local blueberry farmer.

Several of Houston’s incumbent cabinet ministers handling files of interest to farmers also kept their posts in the shuffle, including Tory Rushton (natural resources), Timothy Halman (environment and climate change) and Kent Smith (fisheries and aquaculture). Houston himself will handle the trade and intergovernmental affairs portfolios.