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WINNIPEG — Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew shuffled his cabinet Wednesday, adding three fresh faces and creating an Innovation and New Technology department.

The innovation portfolio will be headed up by Mike Moroz. 

The goal is to grow the province’s tech industry and modernize government services.

The other new members of cabinet are Mintu Sandhu, who will be in charge of delivering public services, and Nellie Kennedy as minster for Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism.

“After years of cuts to health care and a rising cost of living, our government is working to give Manitobans a reason to hope for a better future,” Kinew said in a statement announcing the new cabinet.

“Today we renew our commitment to deliver a good life for families, with refreshed and focused government departments and dedicated new ministers.”

Among the existing cabinet members, those in core portfolios remain the same.

Uzoma Asagwara is still deputy premier and health minister, while Adrien Sala continues to head up the Finance department and Matt Wiebe is still in charge of the Justice portfolio.

Ron Kostyshyn remains in charge of the Agriculture department, Nahanni Fontaine continues in the Families portfolio and Tracy Schmidt is still environment minister.

Schmidt will also continue as acting minister of education in place of Nello Altomare. Altomare stepped aside temporarily over a month ago for medical reasons.

Glen Simard takes over as minister of Municipal and Northern Relations, a job held by Ian Bushie. Bushie is now in charge of Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures.

Jamie Moses had been in charge of natural resources as part of his Economic Development ministry. Moses’s new remit is titled Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation.

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