Premier-designate Susan Hold revealed her cabinet Friday
New Brunswick Premier-designate Susan Holt introduced her cabinet Friday, a day before the government’s official swearing-in ceremony.
Pat Finnigan, the MLA for Kent North, will serve as the minister of agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries in Holt’s 19-person cabinet.
“So happy and honoured to have been asked to serve in our Premier (designate) Susan Holt’s cabinet as Minister of Agriculture, Aquaculture and fisheries,” he said in a post on his Facebook page. “I will work hard for the people of Kent North and the province of New Brunswick!”
Finnigan grew up in Rogersville, N.B., and grew up on a small family farm.
“Following high school, Pat continued his post-secondary education at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, now part of Dalhousie University, where he graduated in Plant Science,” his Liberal Party bio says.
Finnigan is familiar with New Brunswick agriculture.
His family has owned and operated Mr. Tomato Market, which sells greenhouse vegetables, flowers and bakery items, since the 1970s.
In addition, he is a past president of the Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick.
Members of the province’s ag community supports Finnigan’s appointment.
“We are pleased to see announced the addition of Hon. Pat Finnigan to the Agriculture team,” Matt Hemphill, executive director of Potatoes New Brunswick, said on Facebook.
He has experience in ag at a federal level too.
Finnigan previously served as a Liberal MP in Ottawa, winning the riding of Miramichi-Grand Lake in 2015.
During his time as an MP, he chaired the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.
On May 3, 2016, for example, he addressed the House about diafiltered milk coming from the United States.
He received a notice from a fellow MP “calling on the committee to adopt a report that recognizes the government's support of the dairy industry, that recognizes the impact of the importation of diafiltered milk, and that calls on the government to meet with dairy industry representatives in the next 30 days in order to find sustainable solutions to modernize the industry,” he said.
Prior to Finnigan’s appointment, Farms.com connected with Joel Lamarche, the current president of the Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick, to find out what issues are top of mind for the ag industry.