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Rapid Recap: New British Columbia Cabinet Unveiled by Premier Eby

 

Monday, November 18, 2024 – Following the British Columbia provincial election on October 19, where the BC NDP secured a slim majority, Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin reappointed David Eby as Premier and swore in his new Cabinet today.

The new executive council includes new faces in key Ministries including Finance, Health, Energy and Public Safety. It comprises 23 Ministers and four Ministers of State, making the 27-member cabinet the same size as Eby’s pre-election executive council. Notably, over 60% of the cabinet members are women, and six are newly elected MLAs. Most Ministers hail from Metro Vancouver, with only six from Vancouver Island and three from the Interior and North. Additionally, there are 14 parliamentary secretaries, meaning 41 out of 47 BC NDP MLAs have a portfolio in the new government.

Josie Osbourne, who was previously responsible for Energy and Mines, was appointed the new Minister of Health. Adrian Dix, who held the health portfolio for over seven years, was appointed Minister of Energy and Climate solutions. Premier Eby told the media following the announcement that Minister Osbourne’s priorities will be preventing ER closures and making sure every British Columbian has access to a family doctor. He denied that the change in Ministers of Health was intended to address public dissatisfaction with the government’s track record on health.

There will be no standalone Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions for the first time since 2013 and its responsibilities will now fall under the Ministry of Health. When asked by the media, Premier Eby said there will still be a Parliamentary Secretary for Mental Health and Addictions. He also appointed parliamentary secretaries responsible for Rural Health and Seniors’ Services and Long-Term Care.

Notable Cabinet Positions

  • Josie Osborne (Mid Island-Pacific Rim) is the new Minister of Health replacing Adrian Dix, who is now Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions. Osborne previously served as Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation and has been an MLA since 2020.
  • Brenda Bailey (Vancouver-South Granville) is the new Minister of Finance replacing Katrine Conroy who did not run in the recent election. Bailey previously served as Minister for Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, and has been an MLA since 2020.
  • Diana Gibson (Oak Bay-Gordon Head) is the new Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation replacing Brenda Bailey. Gibson is a new MLA elected in 2024.
  • Susie Chant (North Vancouver-Seymour) is the new Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors’ Services and Long-Term Care replacing Harwinder Sandhu who is now Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture. Chant previously served as Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility, and has been an MLA since 2020.
  • Debra Toporoski (Cowichan Valley) is the new Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health, replacing Jennifer Rice who chose not to run in the recent election. Toporoski is a new MLA elected in 2024.
  • Amna Shah (Surrey City Centre) is the new Parliamentary Secretary for Mental Health and Addictions, a newly created role. Shah is a new MLA elected in 2024.

Despite speculation that the NDP might try to recruit an Opposition member for the role in a closely divided legislature, as they did after the 2017 election, the NDP has renominated Raj Chouhan as Speaker. This narrows Premier Eby’s slim majority by one vote in the extremely close legislature.

A full list of the new cabinet and deputy ministers can be found at the end of this memo and here.

What it Means for Health and What’s Next

Premier Eby’s new cabinet is focused on the issues voters strongly told the government they are most concerned about: health care, housing, affordability, community safety and the economy.

With a focus on preventing ER closures and ensuring every British Columbian has access to a family doctor, challenges which are unlikely to be solved in the coming months, Premier Eby is perhaps hoping a fresh face and renewed commitment to look at policies and investments to close gaps in access to critical health services will buy the government some breathing room.

The Premier’s Office announced last week they would not issue mandate letters today as discussions with the BC Green Party about a potential cooperation agreement continue. If an agreement can be reached, look for key BC Green priorities, like community health centres, to be included in Health Minister Osbourne’s mandate letter.

The Legislature is expected to sit again for a brief period before the end of this month in order to elect a Speaker and allow for a confidence vote. Premier Eby has already said that the government will not introduce any legislation during this session.

It is anticipated that Leader of the Official Opposition John Rustad will announce his list of BC Conservative Opposition Critics soon, likely in advance of the short legislative sitting.

Following this sitting, it is expected that the next session of the Legislature will start in early February with a throne speech and government budget, then continuing through until the end of May.

Other Cabinet Positions

  • Niki Sharma will remain as Attorney General also now serving as Deputy Premier. Other Ministers remaining in their portfolios include Ravi Kahlon at Housing (also Municipal Affairs replacing Anne Kang), Grace Lore at Children and Family Development, and George Chow at Citizens’ Services.
  • Lisa Beare is the new Minister of Education and moving from Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills. Lana Popham returns as Minister of Agriculture and had been the Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. Bowinn Ma is the new Minister of Infrastructure leaving her Emergency Management and Climate Readiness portfolio. Jennifer Whiteside is the Minister of Labour, her previous Mental Health and Addictions Ministry has been folded into Health.
  • Mike Farnworth is the Minister of Transportation and Transit in addition to serving as House Leader, he had been Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. Kelly Greene is the Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness having been promoted from serving as Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Aquaculture. Ravi Parmar has also been promoted to Minister of Forests previously serving as Parliamentary Secretary for International Credentials.

Newly elected MLAs appointed to the cabinet include Tamara Davidson as Minister of Environment and Parks, Christine Boyle as Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, Randene Neill as Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, Terry Yung as Minister of State for Community Safety and Integrated Services, and Jodie Wickens as Minister of State for Child Care and Children and Youth with Support Needs.

Rounding out the new Cabinet are Garry Begg as Minister Public Safety and Solicitor General, Jagrup Brar who is Minister for Mining and Critical Minerals, Spencer Chandra Herbert Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport,  Anne Kang serving as Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, Shelia Malcolmson as Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, and Rick Glumac as Minister of State for Trade.

The full details of today’s appointments are as follows:

Ministers

  • Premier: David Eby, MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey

  • Attorney General and Deputy Premier: Niki Sharma, MLA for Vancouver-Hastings

  • Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities: Brittny Anderson, MLA for Kootenay Central

  • Agriculture and Food: Lana Popham, MLA for Saanich South

  • Children and Family Development: Grace Lore, MLA for Victoria-Swan Lake

  • Citizens’ Services: George Chow, MLA for Vancouver-Fraserview

  • Education and Child Care: Lisa Beare, MLA for Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows

  • Minister of State for Child Care and Children and Youth with Support Needs: Jodie Wickens, MLA for Coquitlam-Burke Mountain

  • Emergency Management and Climate Readiness: Kelly Greene, MLA for Richmond-Steveston

  • Energy and Climate Solutions: Adrian Dix, MLA for Vancouver-Renfrew

  • Environment and Parks: Tamara Davidson, MLA for North Coast-Haida Gwaii

  • Finance: Brenda Bailey, MLA for Vancouver-South Granville

  • Forests: Ravi Parmar, MLA for Langford-Highlands

  • Health: Josie Osborne, MLA for Mid Island-Pacific Rim

  • Housing and Municipal Affairs: Ravi Kahlon, MLA for Delta North

  • Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation: Christine Boyle, MLA for Vancouver-Little Mountain

  • Infrastructure: Bowinn Ma, MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale

  • Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation: Diana Gibson, MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head

  • Minister of State for Trade: Rick Glumac, MLA for Port Moody-Burquitlam

  • Labour: Jennifer Whiteside, MLA for New Westminster-Coquitlam

  • Mining and Critical Minerals: Jagrup Brar, MLA for Surrey-Fleetwood

  • Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills: Anne Kang, MLA for Burnaby Centre

  • Public Safety and Solicitor General: Garry Begg, MLA for Surrey-Guildford

  • Minister of State for Community Safety and Integrated Services: Terry Yung, MLA for Vancouver-Yaletown

  • Social Development and Poverty Reduction: Sheila Malcolmson, MLA for Nanaimo-Gabriola Island

  • Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport: Spencer Chandra Herbert, MLA for Vancouver-West End

  • Transportation and Transit and House Leader: Mike Farnworth, MLA for Port Coquitlam

  • Water, Land and Resource Stewardship: Randene Neill, MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast

Parliamentary Secretaries

  • Anti-Racism Initiatives: Jessie Sunner, MLA for Surrey-Newton

  • Agriculture: Harwinder Sandhu, MLA for Vernon-Lumby

  • Gender Equity: Jennifer Blatherwick, MLA for Coquitlam-Maillardville

  • Rural Development: Steve Morissette, MLA for Kootenay-Monashee

  • Seniors’ Services and Long-Term Care: Susie Chant, MLA for North Vancouver-Seymour

  • Rural Health: Debra Toporowski, MLA for Cowichan Valley

  • Mental Health and Addictions: Amna Shah, MLA for Surrey City Centre

  • Asia Pacific Trade: Paul Choi, MLA for Burnaby South-Metrotown

  • Labour: Darlene Rotchford, MLA for Esquimalt-Colwood

  • International Credentials: Sunita Dhir, MLA for Vancouver-Langara

  • Accessibility: Dana Lajeunesse, MLA for Juan de Fuca-Malahat

  • Community Development and Non-profits: Joan Phillip, MLA for Vancouver-Strathcona

  • Transit: George Anderson, MLA for Nanaimo-Lantzville

  • Arts and Film: Nina Krieger, MLA for Victoria-Swan Lake

Biographies

The Honourable Josie Osborne, Minister of Health
Josie Osborne was first elected as MLA for Mid Island-Pacific Rim in 2020.

She grew up on Vancouver Island and has lived in Tofino for more than 20 years, first moving there to work as a fisheries biologist for the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and later as executive director of an environmental education non-profit organization. Since November 2020, she has previously served as minister of Municipal Affairs and Minister for Land, Water and Resource Stewardship and most recently as the Minister for Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation.

She has significant experience in local government, including serving as mayor of Tofino from 2013-20 and as chair and vice-chair for the Alberni Clayoquot Regional District. During her time in local government, Josie chaired the Tofino Housing Corporation and was a strong proponent for active transportation and regional transit. She has served as chair of the board for the Island Coastal Economic Trust, and in 2017, she was appointed by the B.C. minister of environment and climate change to the BC Clean Growth and Climate Action Advisory Council.

The Honourable Diana Gibson, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation
Diana Gibson was elected as the MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head in 2024. Diana Gibson has devoted her career to making life better for people. An award-winning community leader and entrepreneur, she led Greater Victoria’s Community Social Planning Council, and co-founded the Firelight Group — now Canada’s largest Indigenous-owned consulting firm.

During the pandemic, when many people across Greater Victoria faced financial challenges that threatened their housing, Diana’s team at the Community Social Planning Council launched a Rent Bank for the region. They helped more than 2,000 households keep their homes.

 

Susie Chant, Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors’ Services and Long-Term Care
Susie Chant was first elected MLA for North Vancouver – Seymour in 2020, and was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility in 2022.

Susie has dedicated her life to caring for and protecting people – as a Registered Nurse team leader in community care with Vancouver Coastal Health, and as a member of the Royal Canadian Navy Reserves for over 40 years.

 

 

 

Debra Toporowski, Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health
Debra Toporowski was elected as MLA for Cowichan Valley in 2024.

A member of the Cowichan Tribes, Debra Toporowski (Qwulti’stunaat) is a two term elected councillor in the municipality of North Cowichan and a five time councillor of Cowichan Tribes — the first elected woman to hold both positions on two councils at the same time. Born to a First Nations mother and Chinese father, Debra is a champion for Indigenous watersheds and the services people count on in the Cowichan Valley.

 

Amna Shah, Parliamentary Secretary for Mental Health and Addictions
Amna Shah was elected as MLA for Surrey City Centre in 2024.

Amna Shah has called Surrey home for nearly 20 years. Growing up, her family taught her about the importance of compassion, public service, and standing up for your community — values that guide her every day.

Like so many people in Surrey, Amna is concerned about housing. It’s what drove her to work with BC’s Ministry of Housing, where she helped move forward affordable housing policies and projects — many of which have become law and are in effect today.