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News
Politics
BC Politics
Gender + Sexuality

BC’s New Premier John Horgan Unveils Gender-Balanced Cabinet

Experienced MLAs Carole James, Adrian Dix and David Eby awarded senior positions.

Andrew MacLeod 18 Jul 2017TheTyee.ca

Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Find him on Twitter or reach him here.

John Horgan cabinet
John Horgan’s cabinet includes mix of veteran and newbie MLAs, weighted towards Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. Photo: John Horgan Twitter.

British Columbia Premier John Horgan has chosen a gender-balanced cabinet that includes a mix of veteran MLAs and people first elected to the legislature in May.

There are 11 women and 11 men in the cabinet that Lieutenant-Governor Judith Guichon swore in today at a ceremony at Government House packed with NDP supporters and other invited guests.

Like the NDP caucus, the cabinet is weighted towards Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, but with appointees from Vancouver Island, the north and interior as well.

Senior cabinet positions went to some of the NDP’s more experienced MLAs including two former leaders. Carole James will be the minister of finance as well as deputy premier, and Adrian Dix is the minister of health. David Eby is the attorney general and Rob Fleming is minister of education.

Other notable appointments include Michelle Mungall in energy, mines and petroleum resources, Melanie Mark in advanced education, skills and training, and Doug Donaldson in forests, lands, natural resource operations and rural development.

George Heyman is the minister of environment and climate change strategy, Katrine Conroy is minister of children and family development, Scott Fraser is the minister of indigenous relations and reconciliation, Claire Trevena is the minister of transportation and infrastructure, and Judy Darcy heads the new ministry of mental health and addictions.

BC Green leader Andrew Weaver extended his congratulations to the new cabinet in a statement. “This minority government is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to do politics differently in British Columbia,” he said.

“For far too long, the B.C. Legislature has been mired in a combative, hyper-partisan status quo. The new government’s challenge will be to not just talk about doing things differently, but to actually put the good of British Columbians ahead of political calculation.”

At the swearing in ceremony today, Horgan talked about the province’s ongoing forest fires, thanked people who got him there and laid out several priorities. “We’re ready to get started. Let’s go!” he said.

Later, he said the 41 NDP MLAs came to the ceremony together on a bus. “We did a road trip from the legislature, and as a sports guy I know you bond on the bus and that’s the way we’re starting this government, together.”

The government’s priorities include working on the opioid overdose crisis, eliminating bridge tolls, raising welfare rates and reducing costs to make life more affordable for British Columbians, Horgan said.

In total there are 22 ministers, including two ministers of state, plus the premier for a 23-member cabinet, and six parliamentary secretaries.

The full list follows:

John Horgan: Premier

Melanie Mark: Advanced Education, Skills and Training

Lana Popham: Agriculture

David Eby: Attorney General

Katrine Conroy: Children and Family Development

Katrina Chen: Minister of State for Childcare

Jinny Sims: Citizens' Services

Rob Fleming: Education

Michelle Mungall: Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources

George Heyman: Environment, and Climate Change Strategy

Carole James: Finance and Deputy Premier

Doug Donaldson: Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development

Adrian Dix: Health

Scott Fraser: Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation

Bruce Ralston: Jobs, Trade and Technology

Shane Simpson: Social Development and Poverty Reduction

George Chow: Minister of State for Trade

Harry Bains: Labour

Judy Darcy: Mental Health and Addictions

Selina Robinson: Municipal Affairs and Housing

Mike Farnworth: Public Safety and Solicitor General

Lisa Beare: Tourism, Arts and Culture

Claire Trevena: Transportation and Infrastructure [Tyee]

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