Premier Eby’s cabinet features a majority of women and a clear focus on delivering results in affordability, healthcare, housing, and clean economic growth. Below is the full list of the new cabinet, along with highlights of fundamental changes and new portfolios:
Key Cabinet Insights
1. Ministers Retaining Portfolios:
- David Eby: Continues as Premier, leading the cabinet with a focus on affordability, healthcare, and clean economic growth.
- Niki Sharma: Retains the Attorney General portfolio and takes on additional responsibilities as Deputy Premier.
- Grace Lore: Remains as Minister of Children and Family Development, continuing her work on family support programs.
- George Chow: Remains as Minister of Citizens’ Services.
- Sheila Malcolmson: Continues her work as Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, focusing on supporting BC’s most vulnerable.
- Ravi Kahlon: Continues in his role as Minister of Housing, now expanded to include Municipal Affairs, reflecting a new focus on integrating housing policy with municipal governance.
2. Ministers Transitioning to New Portfolios:
- Adrian Dix: Moves from Health to the newly created Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions, where he will oversee CleanBC and lead the transition to clean energy. Dix is BC’s longest-serving health minister.
- Brenda Bailey: Transitions from Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation to Finance, replacing Katrine Conroy. Her experience as a former tech CEO positions her to tackle BC’s economic challenges.
- Bowinn Ma: Moves to lead the newly created Ministry of Infrastructure, consolidating planning, procurement, and delivery for major capital projects.
- Lana Popham: Moves from Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport to Agriculture and Food, bringing her past experience in this portfolio back to focus.
- Josie Osborne: Transitions from Energy, Mines, and Low Carbon Innovation to Health, addressing one of BC’s most critical and pressing issues.
- Lisa Beare: Moves from Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills to Minister of Education and Child Care, reflecting a focus on primary and secondary education.
- Jennifer Whiteside: Formerly Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Whiteside transitions to the Labour portfolio, replacing Harry Bains.
- Anne Kang: Moves from her role as Minister of Municipal Affairs to Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, focusing on higher education and skills training to support BC’s economic growth.
- Mike Farnworth: Takes on Transportation and Transit as well as new responsibilities as House Leader. Moved from solicitor general.
3. New Ministers and Portfolios:
- Kelly Greene: Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. Previously Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Greene now leads efforts to enhance BC’s emergency preparedness and climate resilience strategies.
- Ravi Parmar: Minister of Forests. Formerly Parliamentary Secretary for International Credentials, Parmar now oversees sustainable forest management and innovation in BC.
- Brittny Anderson: Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities. Previously Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism and Premier’s Special Advisor on Youth, Anderson is now focused on strengthening local government partnerships and rural community development.
- Christine Boyle: Appointed as Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, focusing on building stronger partnerships with Indigenous communities.
- Tamara Davidson: Newly appointed as Minister of Environment and Parks, managing BC’s natural resources and parks.
- Diana Gibson: Steps in as Minister of Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation, supporting BC’s economy and job creation.
- Spencer Chandra Herbert: Takes over as Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport.
- Garry Begg: Assumes the role of Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, focusing on community safety and crime reduction.
- Randene Neill: Appointed as Minister of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship, overseeing resource management and sustainability.
- Terry Yung: Appointed as Minister of State for Community Safety and Integrated Services, emphasizing community-level safety initiatives.
- Jodie Wickens: Minister of State for Child Care and Children and Youth with Support Needs
- Rick Glumac: Minister of State for Trade
- Jagrup Brar: Mining and Critical Minerals
New Ministries’ Responsibilities:
- Energy and Climate Solutions: Oversees CleanBC, focusing on low-carbon energy projects and provincial climate goals.
- Housing and Municipal Affairs: Combines housing policy with municipal infrastructure and governance to address housing challenges.
- Infrastructure: Responsible for planning, procurement, and delivery of major capital projects such as schools and hospitals.
- Mining and Critical Minerals: Oversees critical mineral projects essential for the clean energy transition.
Key Staffing Changes:
Jim Rutkowski has been named interim Chief of Staff after Matt Smith announced he will be leaving the Premier’s Office as of December 20th. Rutkowski will serve a six-month term, effective immediately. He is seconded from his role as Deputy Minister of Government Communications and Public Engagement (GCPE), where he leads strategic communications across government. Jim brings extensive experience in senior leadership roles, including as Chief of Staff to Carole James during her tenure as Opposition Leader and Principal Secretary to Alberta Premier Rachel Notley.
Matt Smith will remain in the Premier’s Office until December 20, serving as an advisor during the transition.
This cabinet reshuffle reflects a dynamic approach to addressing the province’s challenges and building a sustainable future.
Should you need a deeper analysis of how these changes might impact your initiatives or have any specific questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our advisors.
Full list of the newly appointed cabinet ministers:
Premier: David Eby
Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities: Brittny Anderson
Agriculture and Food: Lana Popham
Attorney General and Deputy Premier: Niki Sharma
Children and Family Development: Grace Lore
Citizens’ Services: George Chow
Education and Child Care: Lisa Beare
Minister of State for Child Care and Children and Youth with Support Needs: Jodie Wickens
Emergency Management and Climate Readiness: Kelly Greene
Energy and Climate Solutions: Adrian Dix
Environment and Parks: Tamara Davidson
Finance: Brenda Bailey
Forests: Ravi Parmar
Health: Josie Osborne
Housing and Municipal Affairs: Ravi Kahlon
Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation: Christine Boyle
Infrastructure: Bowinn Ma
Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation: Diana Gibson
Minister of State for Trade: Rick Glumac
Labour: Jennifer Whiteside
Mining and Critical Minerals: Jagrup Brar
Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills: Anne Kang
Public Safety and Solicitor General: Garry Begg
Minister of State for Community Safety and Integrated Services: Terry Yung
Social Development and Poverty Reduction: Sheila Malcolmson
Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport: Spencer Chandra Herbert
Transportation and Transit and House Leader: Mike Farnworth
Water, Land and Resource Stewardship: Randene Neill