DanSC DanSC:
ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:
They're just a face....bureaucrats run the departments and they stay in place even when governments change.
So the government is a figurehead?
Government decides policy. The Ministers convey that policy to the Ministry, but the Deputy Ministers and Assistant Deputy Ministers (the ones who have worked their way up from the mailroom and who know the ministry like a family) are the ones in charge of carrying out that policy. They are the 'bureaucrats' and the Ministry follows them because Ministers change every time there is an election.
To Notley's credit, she isn't pulling a Stephen Harper and is keeping the DM's and ADM's where they can be of the most use. Right where they are. All that knowledge on how to run the Ministry will then stay as an asset to the Government.
Even though we've had a massive change in Government, nothing will really change. The 'lefties' will govern from the center, like everyone else. And the new Government is going from 23 ministers to 11. Another credit to Premier Notley!