Premier David Eby's new cabinet after ceremony in Victoria. (B.C. Government/Flickr)

By Liam Verster

Cabinet Shuffle

New B.C. cabinet sworn in, no Okanagan representation

Dec 7, 2022 | 11:54 AM

No Okanagan MLA’s are part of the NDP government’s new cabinet.

Premier David Eby announced his first cabinet since taking over as leader on Wednesday Dec. 7, and though several past ministers are taking on old or new roles, there were no members from the Okanagan.

The only NDP MLAs in the Okanagan, Vernon-Monashee’s Harwinder Sandhu and Boundary-Similkameen’s Roly Russel, were not part of the new cabinet.

B.C.’s Lieutenant Governor, Janet Austin, swore in the new cabinet in Victoria Wednesday, Dec. 7.

“I Janet Austin, in my capacity as Lieutenant Governor of the province of British Columbia, do hereby administer the oaths of allegiance, office and confidentiality to you, as members of executive council in this, his majesty’s province, of British Columbia,” said Austin as she swore in the caucus before asking the MLAs to raise their right hands and swear or affirm the oaths.

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Eby then announced the roles of the selected MLAs, who signed their oaths.

• Pam Alexis, Abbotsford-Mission: Minister of Agriculture and Food
• Mitzi Dean, Esquimalt-Metchosin: Minister of Children and Family Development
• Lisa Beare, Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows: Minister of Citizen Services
• Rachna Singh, Surrey-Green Timbers: Minister of Education and Childcare
• Grace Lore, Victoria-Beacon Hill: Minister for State of Childcare
• Bowinn Ma, North Vancouver-Lonsdale: Minister for Emergency Management and Climate Readiness
• Josie Osborne, Mis Island-Pacific Rim: Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation
• George Heyman, Vancouver-Fairview: Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
• Katrine Conroy, Kootnay West: Minister of Finance
• Bruce Ralston, Surrey-Whalley:MInister of Forests
• Adrian Dix, Vancouver-Kingsway:Minister of Health
• Ravi Kahlon, Delta North: Minister of Housing
• Murray Rankin, Oak Bay-Gordon Head: Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation
• Brenda Bailey, Vancouver-False Creek: Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation
• Jagrup Brar, Surrey-Fleetwood: Minister of State for Trade
• Harry Bains, Surrey-Newton: Minister of Labour
• Jennifer Whiteside, New Westminster: Minister of Mental Health and Addictions
• Anna Kang, Burnaby-Deer Lake: Minister of Municipal Affairs
• Selina Robinson, Coquitlam-Maillardville: Minister for Post Secondary Education and Future Skills
• Andrew Mercier, Langley: Minister of State for Workforce Development
• Mike Farnworth, Port Coquitlam: Minister for Public Safety and Solicitor General
• Sheila Malcolmson, Nanaimo: Minister for Social Development and Poverty Reduction
• Lana Popham, Sannich South: Minister for Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport
• Rob Fleming, Victoria-Swan Lake: Minister for Transportation and Infrastructure, B.C. Transit and TransLink
• Dan Coulter, Chilliwack: Minister for State of Infrastructure and Transit
• Nathan Cullen, Stikine: Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship
• Niki Sharma, Vancouver-Hastings: Attorney General for British Columbia

The Ministry of Housing and the Ministry for Emergency Management and Climate Readiness are newly created branches of government under Eby’s leadership.

Conroy, the sole representative from the Interior named to a ministerial position, had previously served as the Minister of Forests.

Brittny Anderson, the only other NDP MLA in the Interior (Nelson-Creston), was not assigned a role in caucus.

Eby said the team is strong.

“Our new cabinet represents the diversity of our province. There are people bringing incredible experience and diversity of perspectives to the table,” Eby said following the signing of oaths.

“Together they are a strong team that are going to take on the big challenges that our province faces. They are accepting this responsibility at a time when we are facing significant headwinds: global inflation is driving up the costs of essentials for families like groceries, global economic uncertainty is raising anxiety, health care systems across Canada are strained and B.C. is no exception, and small businesses are struggling to find employees they need as our economy grows, climate disasters and the toxic drug crisis taking a tragic toll.”

Eby noted these challenges are all very large, but the ministries will work on addressing them, as British Columbians expect from the government.

He added the path forward involves everyone working together to address these issues and not going it alone.

“We’re at our best we support each other and we’re in a strong position to support people now when they need it as we prepare our province for success in the future, and that’s exactly what we intend to do,” Eby said.

“I believe that B.C. should be a place where everybody can build a good life, Where you can afford a place to call home, feel safe in your community, where you have a family doctor, where your kids go to a good school and teachers have the resources they need, where your kids can get training opportunities to pursue their dreams, and where we build a cleaner economy that works for everyone in partnership with Indigenous peoples.”

Eby stated the past few weeks has seen the province working on addressing affordability, community safety, housing stock and options, attracting doctors and medical students, reconciliation, and building a strong economy, adding the province will continue this work and more in the future.