NDP cupboard filled

Two Kootenay MLAs will be playing key roles for the next provincial government, including Kootenay Central’s Brittny Anderson in cabinet.

The former Nelson city councillor took the Kootenay Central seat for the third time on Oct. 24, and her experience in municipal government and in Victoria has been rewarded.

When Premier David Eby appointed his new cabinet on Monday, it wasn’t by accident that Anderson was given a key role as minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities.

“This experienced and capable team will be focused on addressing the priority issues we heard loud and clear from British Columbians. We're honoured to have been given the opportunity to tackle these serious challenges,” he said in a press release.

Kootenay Monashee NDP MLA Steve Morissette was handed the role of parliamentary secretary for rural development.

Anderson was part of the move of more women than men in the NDP’s cabinet. Key portfolios are also filled by people with relevant professional and community experience, which “will bring a real-world perspective to tackling today's big challenges.

In total, the election delivered a record 56 first-time MLAs, but the NDP lost a dozen incumbent cabinet ministers through retirements or defeat at the ballot box — including Katrine Conroy from the Kootenay-Boundary as finance minister — and the election left the party with few seats outside of the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island to draw from.

Eby said his new cabinet will be “focused on the basics” of affordability, housing, healthcare and the economy.

He added that there were ongoing discussions with the BC Greens about a potential speaker of the legislature, but that the NDP was prepared to put up one of its own members, if necessary.

The new cabinet includes 23 ministers and four ministers of state, and is supported in its work by 14 parliamentary secretaries.

By the numbers

• 65 per cent of the BC NDP caucus — 31 out of 47 — are women; the most ever elected in a caucus in B.C.
• Three members of the BC NDP caucus are Indigenous — the most ever in a caucus in B.C.
• 19 members (40 per cent) of the new BC NDP caucus identify as people of colour — also the most ever in a caucus in B.C.
• Three members of the caucus identify as people living with disabilities.
• Three members of the caucus identify as members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
• Ten MLAs (20 per cent) in the caucus are under the age of 40.
• The caucus also includes the first Muslim woman ever elected to the B.C. Legislature, Amna Shah (Surrey City Centre), the first Korean Canadian ever elected to government caucus, Paul Choi (Burnaby South-Metrotown), and the first black British Columbian elected to government caucus in more than 30 years, George Anderson (Nanaimo-Lantzville).

Further information

• The ceremony can be seen here.