BC Cabinet 2009

Kodii · #1 Posted: **Jun 10, 2009, 9:48 PM**

Falco is now the Health Minister, and Shirley Bond is the new Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. What do you think?

Interesting to see that Van Dongen is no longer in the cabinet. He just went from top cabinet minister to nothing. Makes you wonder whether his driving record and "scandel" had anything to do with it.

Quote:

New cabinet to secure B.C.'s economic, fiscal, environmental and social future: Campbell

By Jonathan Fowlie and Lori Culbert, Vancouver Sun

Premier Gordon Campbell appointed to cabinet today 24 of the 49 Liberal MLAs who were sent to Victoria in last month's provincial election.

Campbell said his government will work to secure the ongoing strength of B.C.'s economic, fiscal, environmental and social future.

"Strong leadership and stable government are prerequisites for our success," he said. "We will inform, include and engage British Columbians as we strive to secure their futures," he added.

The cabinet includes some veteran faces, such as Mike de Jong (the new attorney general), Colin Hansen (who remains the finance minister), and George Abbott (who has left health to become the minister of Aboriginal relations and reconciliation).

The list also includes some newly elected MLAs, such as Kash Heed (solicitor general), Margaret MacDiarmid (education minister), and Moira Stilwell (minister of advanced education).

Campbell also elevated to cabinet the first Japanese-Canadian elected to the legislature. Naomi Yamamoto is the minister of state for intergovernmental relations.

Campbell called today's announcement a "fresh cabinet for positive change." He also acknowledge the tough job this cabinet will have guiding B.C. through these tough economic times.

"We are all ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work," he said. "The journey ahead may be arduous, but we have begun."

The appointments are:

George Abbott - Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation. Abbott had been health minister.

Kash Heed - Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. Heed is a former police chief and a new MLA.

Mary Polak - Minister of Children and Family Development. Polak had been minister of healthy living and sport.

Bill Bennett - Minister of Community and Rural Development. Bennett had been minister of tourism, culture and the arts.

Blair Lekstrom - Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, a post he keeps from last term.

Randy Hawes - Minister of State for Mining. He was chief government whip last term.

Ben Stewart - Minister of Citizen's Services. Stewart is a new MLA.

Margaret MacDiarmid - Minister of Education. MacDiarmid is a new MLA.

Moira Stilwell - Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development. Stilwell is a new MLA.

Steve Thomson - Minister of Agriculture and Lands. Thomson is a new MLA.

Barry Penner - Minister of Environment, the same post he held last term.

John Yap - Minister of State for Climate Action. He has been elected from the backbench.

Colin Hansen - Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier, the same post he held last term.

Pat Bell - Minister of Forests and Range, the same file he held last term.

Kevin Falcon - Minister of Health Services. He had been transportation minister.

Ida Chong - Minister of Healthy Living and Sport. She had been minister of small business, technology and economic development and minister responsible for the Asia-Pacific Initiative in the last term.

Mary McNeil -Minister of State for the Olympics and ActNow BC. McNeil is a new MLA.

Rich Coleman - Minister of Housing and Social Development, the same post he held last term.

Murray Coell - Minister of Labour. He was the minister of advanced education and labour market development in the last term.

Iain Black - Minister of Small Business, Technology and Economic Development. He was the minister of labour and citizens’ services last term.

Kevin Krueger - Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts. He was Minister of Community Development in the last term.

Shirley Bond - Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. She had been education minister.

Naomi Yamamoto - Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations. She is a new MLA.

Mike de Jong - Attorney General and Government House Leader, a post he takes over from Wally Oppal who was not re-elected.
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Source: The Vancouver Sun -- http://www.vancouversun.com/cabinet+...540/story.html

hollywoodnorth · #2 Posted: **Jun 10, 2009, 10:19 PM**

I'm sad to see FALCON move on but onward and upward!

zivan56 · #3 Posted: **Jun 10, 2009, 10:41 PM**

A "former" police chief as solicitor general? That's even worse than police investigating police...public safety I can understand, but solicitor general is taking away what little credibility police still have.
Now we can be sure that hearings like the Braidwood Inquiry will not occur and the police will be able to get away with anything even more easily.

djmk · #4 Posted: **Jun 10, 2009, 10:50 PM**

do we really need all these ministers? its 1/2 of the Liberal cabinet

and the Ministery of Children and Family Development is a hard file. i dunno if the former minister of healthy living and sport will be able to cut it.

and i agree with zivan56. for whatever reason, i do not trust that guy.

and only 7 woman ministers....

Stingray2004 · #5 Posted: **Jun 10, 2009, 10:56 PM**

Biggest "surprise" is Falcon going from MoT to Health.

Biggest "non-surprise" is Kash Heed as solicitor-general.

And the City of Vancouver (all 6 Liberal MLAs) receives very healthy representation at the cabinet table (doesn't bother me as long as they have qualifications):

1. Gordon Campbell - Premier;
2. Kash Heed - Solicitor-General;
3. Margaret MacDiarmid - Education;
4. Moira Stilwell - Advanced Education;
5. Colin Hansen - Finance/ Deputy Premier;
6. Mary McNeil -Olympics and ActNow BC;

Kwik-E-Mart · #6 Posted: **Jun 10, 2009, 11:40 PM**

Now municipalities and TransLink will have to talk to Shirley Bond, an interesting move. Hopefully she can repair the strained relationship between cities and the province.

mezzanine · #7 Posted: **Jun 11, 2009, 1:28 AM**

^^agreed. Falcon may be a go-getter, but divisive. Anything he would have done as Minister of transport in the future will be polarizing ("more buses? we need more rail!"). It will be interesting to see how Bond will do, especially as translink hits its cash crunch and needs more funds.

mattropolis · #8 Posted: **Jun 11, 2009, 4:10 AM**

Goodbye Falco goodbye!

mr.x · #9 Posted: **Jun 11, 2009, 7:26 AM**

Very surprised with Falcon and Bond, but it's a good move I suppose for the reasons others have mentioned. Hopefully she'll be able to bring in all parties back into the discussion without polarizing things.

flight_from_kamakura · #10 Posted: **Jun 11, 2009, 4:14 PM**

shirley bond! wow, she has a reputation as a weak minister, though who knows if it's deserved. 24 cabinet ministers! that's incredible. i mean, do we really need a minister of mines? falcon was promoted (i bet he's gordo's choice to succeed him as premier), funny to see abbott demoted, krueger as culture minister (!?!), polak in family development (hah, that's the gallows for her). and also, i'm surprised terry lake didn't make the cut.

djmk · #11 Posted: **Jun 11, 2009, 4:35 PM**

why do we need

a Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources AND Minister of State for Mining

or

a Minister of Environment AND a Minister of State for Climate Action

or

a Minister of Healthy Living and Sport AND a Minister of State for the Olympics

or

a Minister of Community and Rural Development AND a Minister of Citizen's Services

To me, there seems to be some redundancy here...

mr.x · #12 Posted: **Jun 12, 2009, 12:32 AM**

My old high school would be overjoyed if Falcon became Premier...he graduated from there.

metroXpress · #13 Posted: **Jun 12, 2009, 2:18 PM**

^ I didn't know that......Vancouver College eh?