Premier Darrell Pasloski announced major changes to his cabinet this morning.

Brad Cathers has been shifted from being minister of Energy, Mines, and Resources and is now responsible for Community Services, the Yukon Housing Corp., the Yukon Liquor Corp. and the Yukon Lottery Commission.

Scott Kent was shuffled out of Education.

He will now serve as the minister of EMR, and the minister responsible for the Yukon Energy Corp. and the Yukon Development Corp.

Elaine Taylor takes over what has been the often controversial Education portfolio.

Taylor will continue in her role as deputy premier and the minister responsible for the French Language Services Directorate and the Women's Directorate.

Currie Dixon will add the responsibility for the Public Service Commission to his Environment and Economic Development portfolios.

Speaking to the Star early this afternoon, Pasloski called the changes a lateral move for three of his senior cabinet ministers.

"They bring their experience and their knowledge and their perspective, and with a change, more energy as well into these new portfolios.

"I believe what that does is makes the organization strong as well,” he said, noting that he did the same thing with deputy ministers almost a year ago.

The mandate letters the premier wrote last year to his ministers will stay the same even as the ministers themselves change, he added.

"I'm confident that what they are going to now do is pick up from where their colleague left off and continue to move those departments forward.”

Jan Stick, the NDP's Health critic, said the official Opposition caucus was surprised by the shuffle.

It's basically "musical chairs,” she told the Star.

"Our concern is that it's the same old, same tired government. Instead of a shuffle, I think what we're looking for is solutions.

"What are the new solutions to issues such as Yukoners still waiting to hear on the Peel?” Stick asked.

"What's happening to F.H. Collins? Where's our housing strategy?”

Stick said she did look to see if the Yukon Party's newest MLA had been given a ministerial responsibility.

The premier announced in early July that Darius Elias, the formerly Independent MLA for Vuntut Gwitchin, had joined the Yukon Party caucus.

Elias was not given a portfolio during this shuffle.

But Sandy Silver, the interim leader of the Liberal party, doesn't expect this will be the last cabinet shuffle Yukoners see this year.

"I think the premier is trying to get hold of some problem portfolios; that's the message I'm seeing here,” Silver said early this afternoon.

"The three portfolios of Energy, Mines and Resources, Education, and Community Services, they had been high-profile in the last couple of sessions and it's due to issues that will not go away from this poorly organized Yukon Party government.”

Silver said it's no surprise to him to see the government "shuffling the cards and hoping for a better hand” rather than addressing the underlying issues plaguing these departments.

But he said he's hopeful that Yukoners will begin to see leadership from these ministers in their new roles.

"We're moving three ministers who aren't performing well into new portfolios, and hopefully those changes in scenery will do Yukoners well,” he said.

He added he finds it interesting to see Cathers "abandoning the mining industry just as things are going south.”

Silver, for his part, was not surprised that Elias, his former colleague, was not promoted to minister so soon after crossing the floor.

Elias left the Liberals last summer in favour of sitting as an independent.

On the question of Elias and whether he was considered for a portfolio the premier said: "We're grateful as I've said to have Darius part of our team, and he's working hard now and his priorities remain to continue to earn the respect and build that relationship with the rest of the caucus members and he's off to a great start.”