Turmoil is second nature to the Campbell government these days, but the man responsible for overseeing B.C.’s largest industries remains confident under fire.
On Wednesday, Steve Thomson, MLA for Kelowna-Mission, was handed the energy portfolio after Bill Bennett was ousted from the cabinet for disparaging remarks he made about Gordon Campbell’s leadership.
The energy portfolio, which includes everything from BC Hydro to renewable energy development and B.C.’s oil and gas sector, comes on top of Thomson’s role as minister of natural resource operations.
The latter of the two ministries was created during a cabinet shuffle in late October.
Critics have already begun to call the natural resource portfolio a “super” ministry because its responsibilities include permitting and regulation for multiple industries such as forestry and mining.
Despite the upheaval in the Liberal party, Thomson told Business in Vancouver the new ministry is in line with government’s goal to streamline the regulatory environment for B.C.’s resource sectors.
“This is something that follows a lot of work being done in government already,” Thomson said. “This builds on the throne speech commitment to move to one project, one process. In many respects, ministries had been operating in this process in a virtual way because we recognize that effective decision-making does require integration across the resource ministries when you’re dealing with operations on the land base.
“So, I think in terms of achieving the objective of what we want to do here in terms of streamlining the regulatory framework, developing the one project, one process [environment] and improving timelines, this is the outcome of all of that work that helps put the structure and momentum in place to achieve that objective.”
Check out next week’s edition of BIV for the business community’s and First Nations' reaction to the new ministry.