B.C. NDP Cabinet 2017: Metro Vancouver

VICTORIA — Premier John Horgan handed key responsibilities in his new cabinet to Metro Vancouver MLAs Tuesday, giving the region, and the NDP’s political power base, a massive voice in shaping his new administration. Almost two-thirds of Horgan’s new 22-person cabinet comes from the Lower Mainland, where the NDP made key gains in the May 9 election that ultimately allowed it to topple the B.C. Liberals and officially assume power on Tuesday. The NDP’s strong showing in Vancouver during the election — it holds eight of 11 city ridings — appears to have been recognized with the largest representation at the cabinet table, including some of the most important portfolios in government. That includes David Eby (attorney general, and also minister responsible for liquor, gambling and the Insurance Corp. of B.C.), Adrian Dix (health), Shane Simpson (social development and poverty reduction), George Heyman (environment and climate change strategy), Melanie Mark (advanced education) and George Chow (minister of state for trade). Horgan’s recent appointment of former Vancouver city councillor Geoff Meggs as his chief of staff also bolstered the relationship with Vancouver. Overall, the 22-person cabinet unveiled Tuesday was gender-balanced, with a mix of new and old MLAs that marked only a modest reorganization from the structure of the previous Liberal government. They were all sworn in at a ceremony at Government House in which Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon made Horgan as B.C.’s 36th premier. Horgan pledged quick action this summer on several key issues: Assisting those displaced by wildfires, reducing the fentanyl overdose crisis, solving the softwood lumber dispute, raising welfare and disability rates, putting more teachers in classrooms and eliminating tolls at the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges. “We have the team, we have the plan, we are committed to getting it done,” Horgan told a cheering audience of supporters packed in to the Government House ballroom. “You can count on that, each and every day we are going to work as hard as we can . We are ready to get started, lets go.” The list of priority puts early pressure on several new cabinet ministers, such as Education Minister Rob Fleming, who will have to act quickly to solve funding issues that teachers say are preventing the proper hiring of staff before schools return in September.