Enter C.C.

When Claret Connor is sworn in on Wednesday as Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor, he will take control of one of government’s most demanding portfolios at a time when patience and expectations will have to exist side by side.

VSA is dealing with serious challenges, including the financial condition of the healthcare funds, preparations for General Health Insurance, medical referrals, labor-market concerns, social assistance, healthcare staffing and the continued development of hospital and mental-health services. None of these matters will be solved overnight, and the public must allow Connor reasonable time to understand the ministry, assess its priorities and determine what is working.

He also enters office after a minister whom many believed had the ministry operating well and had several important initiatives moving forward. At the same time, it would be unrealistic and unfair to expect Connor to simply sign off on everything he inherits.

A new minister has a responsibility to study each policy, project and commitment on its own merit. Continuation of government does not mean rubber-stamping. It means preserving what is sound, correcting what is weak and making changes where the public interest requires them.

Connor’s experience leading the National Recovery Program Bureau should serve him well. He understands large projects, institutional reform, external funding and the need to deliver measurable results. Those skills will now be tested in a ministry where decisions directly affect people’s health, employment, income and dignity.

The public should give him space to settle into the role, but that patience cannot become an excuse for inaction. Connor will be expected to communicate clearly, maintain momentum and show that he is prepared to make difficult decisions.

He deserves a fair opportunity to lead.

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