Premier Andrew Furey is defending the size and make-up of his first majority government cabinet.

Furey’s inner circle has grown from 14 to 16 members, and also includes two more women for a total of five. There’s also a dedicated Women and Gender Equality portfolio headed by rookie minister Pam Parsons.

The Tories are criticizing the larger cabinet, saying it will cost another million dollars a year for a government that’s already broke. However, Furey says it provides the right combination of skills and gender to do the difficult work ahead.

His new Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs—Krista Lynn Howell—is inclined to agree. She says there’s always room for improvement, but accepts the Premier’s judgment that the cabinet has the right mix to tackle the province’s challenges head-on, with future opportunities to include more women in cabinet.

Other female cabinet ministers include Siobhan Coady, Lisa Dempster, and Sarah Stoodley, who keep the same portfolios they had before the election.

Meanwhile, the House of Assembly reopens Monday morning to have all other MHAs sworn in, with the election of the House Speaker in the afternoon.

The Throne Speech is expected to be delivered later next week.