John Horgan was officially sworn in as premier of B.C. last week in a ceremony that could be described as a baptism by fire.
Horgan and his new 22-member cabinet were sworn in at a time when wildfires raged through the interior of B.C., forcing the evacuation of Williams Lake and several other communities.
His first act as premier was to extend a state of emergency and commit to ongoing financial help for evacuees: $600 per household, to be renewed every 14 days until evacuees return home.
Horgan also committed to tackling B.C.’s other crisis – drug overdoses. Horgan created a new dedicated ministry to deal with drugs and addiction – Mental Health and Addictions – to be headed by Judy Darcy.
Horgan also replaced the heads of Crown corporations, naming former BC NDP MLA Joy MacPhail as the new chair of the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, and Kenneth Peterson – a former CEO of Powerex, BC Hydro’s power trading arm – as the new chair for BC Hydro. Horgan has promised to cap some of the rate hikes planned by both BC Hydro and ICBC.
In naming his new cabinet, Horgan gave Carole James the highest cabinet post – deputy premier and minister of finance.
David Eby was named attorney general, Adrian Dix minister of health and Mike Farnworth solicitor general and minister of public safety.
Horgan’s new cabinet reflects principles of gender and regional parity. Exactly half of his 22 cabinet ministers are women.
Some of the key priorities for the NDP and their BC Green Party backers will have to wait until the first sitting of the legislature in the fall, since they will require legislation to be passed. In the meantime, the new government can act on some priorities through orders in cabinet.
Horgan said referring the $8.8 billion Site C dam to the BC Utilities Commission will be one of them.
“It’s something that I want to get to quickly,” he said. “I believe that there’s an urgency to get some certainty on some of the economic questions that I don‘t believe have been adequately canvassed, and we’re going to get on that as quickly as we can.”
Horgan said his new government would also be working to eliminate tolls on the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges “this summer,” as well as raising disability and income assistance rates.
The NDP will also be busy over the next few weeks crafting its first budget, which must be passed in September.
Key portfolios for Vancouver are those that deal with housing, transportation and technology.
Selina Robinson was appointed minister of municipal affairs and housing. Claire Trevena was given the transportation and infrastructure portfolio, and Bowinn Ma named parliamentary secretary for TransLink.
The former Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services Ministry has been divided up, with Bruce Ralston the new minister of trade and technology, and Rick Glumac the parliamentary secretary for technology.
Other cabinet appointments that were announced last week are:
•George Heyman, environment and climate change
•Michelle Mungall, energy, mines and petroleum
•Rob Fleming, education
•Doug Donaldson, forests, lands, natural resource operations and rural development
•Harry Bains, labour
•Katrine Conroy, children and family development
•Scott Fraser, indigenous relations and reconciliation
•Melanie Mark, advanced education, skills and training
•Shane Simpson, social development and poverty reduction
•Lana Popham, agriculture
•Jinny Sims, citizens’ services
•Lisa Beare, tourism, arts and culture
•George Chow, minister of state, trade
•Katrina Chen, minister of state, child care
