Steinbach MLA Kelvin Goertzen says he has mixed emotions as he leaves the post of Health Minister and moves on to education and training.

The announcement was made early Wednesday afternoon as the Premier made some changes to his cabinet. Goertzen says being in the post for nearly two and a half years, he's made some strong connections with fellow colleagues in the department. "It's hard to say goodbye to something you've put so much time and energy into," adds Goertzen noting he's looking forward to the new challenges that come with education.

"We all kind of do the same thing, right? When my son gets home from school, one of the first things I ask him is what did you learn in school today? Because we all want to know how are things progressing, how are you doing, what are you leaning and I think that's true for parents across Manitoba," says Goertzen. He adds it may be a little early to set goals yet, as he claims he's not quite sure where his new office is yet but says he hopes to work with parents and consultants to ensure what children are learning in school prepares them for life. Another goal, Goertzen notes is to see that Manitoba students can compete with students from the rest of the country.

Looking back on his two-plus years in health, Goertzen says they were faced with some incredibly difficult decisions and notes he's very proud of his team and the staff out in the medical field.

"Really it's those who are working on the front lines that are doing the heavy lifting and I know that and I recognize that. I never lost sight of the fact that it has an impact on real people. I'm tremendously proud of those people who have been working to implement changes, sometimes changes which are disruptive for sure, and really proud of that."

Goertzen says he has full confidence that Cameron Friesen will do an incredible job as Health Minister and adds he looks forward to seeing what the future looks like in Manitoba.