Premier Christy Clark drew deeply from her well of seasoned politicians to appoint a new cabinet reflecting her focus on the economy and jobs.
But in naming her new cabinet, Clark also called upon a number of newly-elected MLAs, including new MLAs Suzanne Anton, Todd Stone, Amrik Virk, Teresa Wat and Andrew Wilkinson. She also chose geographically, selecting new and former ministers from across the entire province.
Her new 19-member cabinet, announced Friday in a event packed with the province's whos-who at the very tip of Canada Place, is an increase from the stripped-down 17-member version she took into the May 14 election.
Clark began her announcement restating her campaign promise to hold the line on costs, and to promote international trade of the province's natural resources.
As promised during the May 14 election, Clark named a new ministry for natural gas, reflecting her expectation the growing LNG sector will fuel her plans for economic stimulation.
For that task, she tapped senior minister Rich Coleman, who will also carry on as housing minister. She also surprised the assembled crowd by announcing Anton is the new Minister of Justice, replacing Shirley Bond.
In naming her cabinet, Clark also created several new ministries, including an innovation and technology ministry headed by Wilkinson, the MLA for Vancouver-Quilchena.
Clark returned Stephanie Cadieux to her job as children and families minister, and Steve Thomson as forests minister. But she also tapped former environment minister Terry Lake for the difficult job of education minister. The ministry is perhaps one of the most difficult since Clark expects the government to get a 10-year contract with the B.C. Teachers Federation.
Mike de Jong is the new finance minister and government house leader, and will bring in the 2013 balanced budget legislation this summer.
Although the announcement was made in perhaps one of the glitziest ceremonies in recent B.C. political history, outdoors against the backdrop of a Vancouver harbour backdrop and featuring Moscrop Secondary School Band, the traditional and very formal swearing-in ceremony will be held on Monday at Government House in Victoria.
In choosing her new cabinet, Clark had to replace two key ministers, Margaret MacDiarmid and Ida Chong, who lost their seats in the election. MacDiarmid lost Vancouver-Fairview to the NDP's George Heyman and Chong lost Oak Bay-Gordon Head on Vancouve Island to Green Party's Andrew Weaver. She also had to replace jobs, tourism and skills minister Pat Bell, who did not seek re-election.
Clark lost her own seat of Vancouver-Point Grey to the NDP's David Eby but this week announced she will seek a seat in a byelection in Westside-Kelowna, the symbolic birthplace of B.C.'s free-enterprise movement.
The cabinet ministers are:
- The Deputy Premier and the Minister of Natural Gas Development and Minister Responsible for Housing will be Rich Coleman.
- The Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation will be John Rustad.
- The Minister of Advanced Education will be Amrik Virk.
- The Minister of Agriculture will be Pat Pimm.
- The Minister of Children and Family Development will be Stephanie Cadieux.
- The Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development will be Coralee Oakes.
- The Minister of Education will be Peter Fassbender.
- The Minister of Energy and Mines and Minister Responsible for Core Review will be Bill Bennett.
- The Minister of Environment will be Mary Polak.
- The Minister of Finance and Government House Leader will be Michael de Jong.
- The Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations will be Steve Thomson.
- The Minister of Health will be Terry Lake.
- The Minister of International Trade, Minister Responsible for Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism will be Teresa Wat.
- The Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour will be Shirley Bond.
- Reporting to Bond, the Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business will be Naomi Yamamoto.
- The Minister of Justice and Attorney General will be Suzanne Anton.
- The Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation will be Don McRae.
- The Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens' Services will be Andrew Wilkinson.
- The Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure and Deputy House Leader will be Todd Stone.
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