Richmond-Queensborough MLA Jas Johal has bolted out of the gates as a rookie politician in Victoria.
After briefly being named the Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services before the B.C. Liberals lost confidence in the House, last month Johal was named opposition critic to the Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology headed by NDP Minister Bruce Ralston.
“I’m excited about the opportunity. I spent a lot of my journalistic career covering the economy,” said Johal.
He’s also considering throwing his hat into the B.C. Liberals’ leadership race following the resignation of former premier Christy Clark.
“It’s not official. I’m considering it. I wanted to lend a voice certainly to Generation X and Millennials in regards to their concerns to policy issues,” said Johal, a former GlobalBC television reporter and international correspondent who changed careers in late 2014 to become a spokesperson for the BC LNG Alliance.
“In nine out of 10 provinces in Canada, Gen-Xers and Millennials outnumber Baby Boomers. Their concerns have to be addressed. Affordability, housing, daycare, transportation. We need to do a better job addressing these issues,” said Johal.
Johal, who considers himself socially liberal and a centrist, said he comes in as “an outsider,” which could be considered a good thing considering the controversies that have surrounded the B.C. Liberals in past years.
Johal has made headlines elsewhere. He was outspoken against the new NDP government a week into its job when he claimed Petronas cancelled an LNG plant near Prince Rupert (Pacific Northwest LNG proposal on Lelu Island) because of so-called anti-LNG statements (the need for more regulations, a higher carbon tax and need to address climate change) made by New Democrats while in Opposition.
However, Petronas publicly denied the NDP had anything to do with the cancellation.
And despite LNG markets being on a downward trajectory with a glut of supply, Johal maintained Petronas executives were “being diplomatic.” He added LNG executives “absolutely” factor in government intentions and statements as part of market conditions.
Johal also took some heat in a report in TheTyee.ca that revealed that Liberal communications manager Ben Chin was given a “heads up” by Johal about the August 2014 Mount Polley tailings spill.
“Just finished talking to Jas... it’s just a heads up, not an interview request. He tells me the pictures at 6 will be very graphic. Imperial should get out in front,” Chin wrote.
Johal dismissed the notion he was assisting the government in its communications plan, saying he was telling Chin the government would need to make a statement.
On May 9, Johal won his riding by just 134 votes (8,218 to 8,084) over another rookie candidate, Aman Singh of the NDP.
