First Bishop Government

The **First Bishop Government** began on 16th June 2014 after President Blah Blah invited Jackie Bishop to form a new administration following the June 2014 federal election. The election resulted in a hung assembly with the New Democratic Party becoming the largest assembly party with 235 seats, 25 seats short of an overall majority . On 15 June 2014, Bishop announced her intention to form an NDP minority government, reliant on the confidence and supply of the Green Party; a finalised agreement between the two parties was signed and published on 16 June, 2014.

## Formation

The 2014 Federal Election resulted in a hung assembly for the first time since 1991, with the New Democratic Party as the largest party. On June 15th 2014, the NDP entered into a day of negotiations with the Green Party, which resulted in a confidence-and-supply agreement between the two parties. The NDP would form a minority government, with its leader, Jackie Bishop, as chancellor, and the Green Party would provide the votes for an overall majority of 3 seats in the National Assembly. In exchange for providing votes for the government, the Green Party secured a promise for a referendum on electoral reform and cannabis legalization, to be held no later than 2018. On June 16th, 2014, the day of the official opening of the National Assembly, Jackie Bishop announced her cabinet. She significantly restructured the cabinet, disbanding the Department of State for Labour, Social Security and Pensions, in order to create the separate Department of State for Social Security and Pensions and the Department of State for Labour and Employment Rights. She also reorganised the Environment and Transport departments, to create three separate departments: the Department of State for Environment, Conservation and Rural Affairs, the Department of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and the Department of State for Energy and Climate Change. She also announced that the Department of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government would be split into two new departments: the Department of State for Housing and Urban Development and the Department of State for Communities and Local Government. In addition, Bishop announced that there would be two new departments: the Department of State for Women, Children and Equalities (replacing the Equalities Office), and the Department of State for Veterans Affairs (removing the veterans affairs portfolio from the Defence Department). The new cabinet is the largest in history, with 30 members. Consisting of 15 men and 15 women, it is also the first gender-balanced cabinet, and is the youngest cabinet in history, with an average age of 45 and 5 out of 6 Great Officers of State being under 50 when they took office. At 41, Bishop is the youngest elected Chancellor in history and the second woman to hold the office. As of 2014, the cabinet is the most diverse in history, with 9 ethnic minority members, including the first two native panemian cabinet members in history, and 4 LGBT members. It is the first cabinet to contain a former First Minister, Martin Shapiro, who was the First Minister of New Brunswick from 2004 to 2012.

## Ministers by Department (2014-2017)

 Secretary of State for Women, Children and Equalities
 Under Secretary of State for Women, Children and Equalities
Minister of State for Equalities and the Status of Women
 Minister of State for Children, Families and Child Poverty Prevention (joint with Education, Social Security Departments) |      | Hon. Felicity Cobb MA
 Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Women, Children and Equalities

**Federal Department of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food**
 Under Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Minister of State for Farming, Food Standards and Agri-Food
 Minister of State for Fisheries
 Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

Federal Department of State for Housing and Urban Development
 Under Secretary of State for Housing and Urban Development
Minister of State for Housing and Planning
 Minister of State for Urban Development and Regional Growth |      | Hon. Theresa Ambler MA
 Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Housing and Urban Development |      | Hon. Hannah Colwell MA

Federal Department of State for Communities and Local Government
 Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Minister of State for Local Government
 Minister of State for Communities, Faith and Tackling Homelessness
 Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

Federal Department of State for Labour and Employment Rights
 Under Secretary of State for Labour and Employment Rights
Minister of State for Employment
 Minister of State for Employment Rights and Consumer Protection
 Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Labour and Employment Rights

Federal Department of State for Veterans Affairs
 Under Secretary of State for Veterans Affairs
Minister of State for Veterans Affairs
 Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Veterans Affairs

Federal Department of State for International Development
 Under Secretary of State for International Development
Minister of State for International Charities and Foundations

 Minister of State for International Development and Tackling International Child Poverty
 Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for International Development

## Ministers by Department (2017-2018)

 Secretary of State for Women, Children and Equalities
 Under Secretary of State for Women, Children and Equalities
Minister of State for Equalities and the Status of Women
 Minister of State for Children, Families and Child Poverty Prevention (joint with Education, Social Security Departments) |      | Hon. Felicity Cobb MA
 Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Women, Children and Equalities

 Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
 Under Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Minister of State for Farming, Food Standards and Agri-Food
 Minister of State for Fisheries
 Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

 Secretary of State for Housing and Urban Development |      | Rt. Hon. Fabian Keele MA
 Under Secretary of State for Housing and Urban Development
Minister of State for Housing and Planning
 Minister of State for Urban Development and Regional Growth |      | Hon. Theresa Ambler MA
 Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Housing and Urban Development |      | Hon. Saurabh Kothari MA

 Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
 Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Minister of State for Local Government
 Minister of State for Communities, Faith and Tackling Homelessness
 Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

 Secretary of State for Labour and Employment Rights
 Under Secretary of State for Labour and Employment Rights
Minister of State for Employment
 Minister of State for Employment Rights and Consumer Protection
 Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Labour and Employment Rights

 Secretary of State for Veterans Affairs
 Under Secretary of State for Veterans Affairs
Minister of State for Veterans Affairs
 Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Veterans Affairs

 Secretary of State for International Development
 Under Secretary of State for International Development
Minister of State for International Charities and Foundations

 Minister of State for International Development and Tackling International Child Poverty
 Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for International Development