New Deputy Ministers for Treasury and Policy Board, Environment and Labour

Premier Rodney MacDonald today, Nov. 20, announced new deputy ministers for the Treasury and Policy Board, and Environment and Labour.

Margaret MacDonald, assistant deputy minister of the Treasury and Policy Board, will move to deputy minister. Nancy Vanstone, acting deputy minister of Environment and Labour, will become deputy minister.

Robert Fowler, currently deputy minister of the Treasury and Policy Board, will retain his portfolio of deputy minister to the Premier's Office, CEO of Communications Nova Scotia, head of the Public Service, and clerk and secretary of the Executive Council.

"I am pleased to recognize the contributions of both these outstanding individuals," said Premier MacDonald. "They represent important leadership roles in the senior public service."

Ms. MacDonald has been assistant deputy minister with the Treasury and Policy Board since 2002. Before that, Ms. MacDonald was a senior solicitor with the Department of Justice, and was legal advisor to a number of government departments, including the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Finance. She also practiced for five years with a private law firm.

Before becoming acting deputy minister of Environment and Labour earlier this year, Ms. Vanstone had been the assistant deputy minister since 2004. She has served as executive director of Registry and Information Management Services with Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations, and also worked with the Department of Municipal Affairs, the Council of Maritime Premiers, the deputy minister's Land Use Secretariat, and the Department of Economic Development.

Both appointments take effect immediately.