Kelowna MLAs see cabinet changes

KELOWNA – The new B.C. cabinet was announced this afternoon and out of the 19 ministers appointed to the cabinet only a few join Kelowna-Mission MLA Steve Thomson in keeping their previous portfolios.

Thomson will continue to oversee forests, lands and natural resource operations. Premier Christy Clark, who lost her seat in her own Vancouver riding and will be running in a byelection in Westside-Kelowna next month, says forestry is a sunrise industry and Thomson will work with the industry to keep it growing in the right direction in a sustainable way.

Norm Letnick, Kelowna-Lake Country, has lost his role as a cabinet minister. Formerly in charge of agriculture, Letnick is replaced by Pat Pimm of Peace River North.

Among the new ministries created were ministry of natural gas development, ministry of technology, innovation and citizen services and the ministry of international trade, Asia-Pacific strategy and multiculturalism.

Rich Coleman, Fort Langley-Aldergrove, will remain as the deputy premier and minister in charge of housing, but will also take on the role of natural gas development minister. Mike de Jong, Abbotsford-West will stay in the role of minister of finance and house leader. Stephanie Cadieux, Surrey-Cloverdale, is the only other minister seeing an unchanged portfolio and will oversee the ministry of children and family development. In total six other ministers remain ministers but with different portfolios this time.

The Southern Interior will also be represented by Kamloops MLAs Terry Lake and Todd Stone. Lake has moved from environment to health while Stone takes on the role of transportation and infrastructure minister.

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