Fergus Ewing has called for a reset of the SNP Government after Humza Yousaf ended his pact with the Scottish Greens.
The long serving SNP MSP - a critic of the Bute House Agreement - told The Herald he was pleased to see it end.
"When squatters are eventually removed, generally speaking a cleaning up operation," he said.
"So Humza's priorities should be to conduct a kind of spring clean of his policies and programme.
"This should focus on people's real priorities, the economy, jobs, business, the health service and our schools.
"These are what really matter to people, rather than things like conversion therapy bans and sitting on the fence over the Cass review.
"People want us to focus on their priorities and to stand up for them."
He added: "That requires a bit of humility and acceptance that change is required."
Asked about whether the government should move forward with plans to ban conversion therapy, he said: "We shouldn't be spending even more time focussing on issues like that. We should be focusing on things that ease pressures on people's lives, the health service in particular and the economy.
"There has been a lack of focus on the needs of business and growing the economy. We used to when I was working as business minister working for Alex Salmond, focus resolutely on the economy, every part of it.
"Now we hardly have the time to do so."
The Herald asked Mr Ewing if there should be a new programme for government.
"Humza has a short opportunity now that the Bute House Agreement is in the bin, to show people he is going to change," he said.
"Now that the Greens have gone can we get back to appreciating the great work people do in the oil and gas, farming, fishing, the chemical industry.
"There are people doing marvellous things in all these walks of life."
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