Premier Christy Clark and her 19 cabinet ministers were sworn in by Governor General Judith Guichon at Government House on June 10.
The cabinet will be a mixture of seasoned veterans, second-term ministers and newcomers to the Legislative Buildings, and there has been a significant shuffle in who is heading up the ministries.
Clark said she plans to call the legislature back in session, which is a rarity for British Columbia MLAs, at the end of the month, even though she will be campaigning in the Westside-Kelowna byelection after losing her Vancouver-Point Grey seat to the NDP in the May 14 general election.
The premier, who pulled off the impossible by pushing the B.C. Liberals from a double-digit deficit in the polls at the beginning of the election campaign to forming a majority government, added the session will focus on balancing the budget.
Clark noted new legislation won't be introduced this summer, but British Columbians can expect to see an updated version of last February’s budget.
It’s expected veteran B.C. Liberal MLA Linda Reid will be nominated for speaker of the legislature.
Cabinet ministers have already been given their marching orders, as they received their "mandate letters" outlining their priorities during the B.C. Liberal government’s four-year mandate.
They have also been tasked to do “core reviews” within their ministries, with an eye on functions the government doesn’t need to do and reducing excessive government red tape and regulations.
One of the immediate government hot-button items falls on the shoulders of new Education Minister Peter Fassbender, as he will be tasked with seeking a 10-year agreement with BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) – a goal Premier Clark announced during the run-up to the provincial election.
The BCTF’s current contract expires June 30.
On the local front, Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett has been moved from being Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Communities and Development under the Minister of Community, Tourism, Sport and Cultural Development.
She is now the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations for Rural Development.
Said Premier Clark: “She will use her passion for rural British Columbia to make sure our government is helping build the economy in these important regions of the province.”
New ministers
• Rich Coleman heads up the new Natural Gas Development ministry, and is still the Deputy Premier and minister responsible for housing.
• Mike de Jong is Finance Minister and Government House Leader.
• Steve Thomson stays on as the Minister of Forest, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
• Teresa Wat heads up the new Ministry of International Trade, including B.C.'s Asia-Pacific strategy and multiculturalism.
• Bill Bennett is the Energy and Mines Minister.
• Todd Stone will lead the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and is Deputy House Leader.
• Coralee Oakes (Cariboo North) is the Community, Sport and Cultural Development Minister.
• Suzanne Anton is the Justice Minister and Attorney-General.
• Mary Polak heads up the Environment Ministry.
• Peter Fassbender is the Education Minister.
• Amrik Virk takes over as Advanced Education Minister.
• Stephanie Cadieux stays on as Children and Family Development Minister.
• John Rustad is the Aboriginal Relations Minister.
• Naomi Yamamoto is Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business.
• Andrew Wilkinson will head up the renamed Technology, Innovation and Citizen Services Ministry.
• Pat Pimm is the new Agriculture Minister.
• Don McRae leads the renamed Social Development and Social Innovation Ministry.
• Shirley Bond is the Minister of Tourism and Skills Training, and is responsible for labour.
• Terry Lake takes on the Health Ministry.
Norm Letnick, Ralph Sultan and Moira Stilwell lost their cabinet postings.