Local MLAs get critic roles

Kamloops' two newly-elected MLAs have been given prominent critic roles in the B.C. Conservative shadow cabinet.

Party leader John Rustad announced the Opposition's critic picks to the NDP government Wednesday, naming incumbent MLA Peter Milobar shadow minister of finance and newcomer Ward Stamer the shadow minister of forestry.

Milobar, Kamloops Centre MLA, held the finance critic role under the BC United during the previous legislature, and returns to the role watching over the NDP’s Minister of Finance Brenda Bailey.

Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Stamer, the former mayor of Barriere who worked for years in forestry as a logging contractor, will be the critic for Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar.

Stamer, a rookie MLA, said the role was “at the top of his list.”

“When I talked to John [Rustad] a week ago when we were down in Victoria, he pretty much asked everybody what their top three picks would be,” Stamer said.

Milobar also told Castanet returning to the finance portfolio was his top choice.

“I would’ve taken on any role I was asked to take on, but given the complexities of the finance file and knowing how things move through the file now after a couple years in it and it seemed like a good thing to continue on with,” Milobar said.

Stamer said he hopes to be able to sit down with Parmar to discuss how to move the industry forward.

“I’m hoping the minister and the NDP have some new ideas, because we do, and I hope they’re going to be receptive to some of those new ideas,” Stamer said, noting the

In his critic role, Milobar said he hopes to see how the deficit is being created, be it a worsening economy or tax revenues dropping, and how the government plans to get said deficit under control.

“Our shadow cabinet’s a diverse and experienced group, committed to restoring prosperity, public safety and affordability for every British Columbian,” Rustad said.

“With experts ion every field, we are focused on delivering real solutions for the challenges our province faces.”

The BC NDP under premier David Eby won re-election back on Oct. 19 by the slimmest majority with 47 seats to the Conservative’s 44 and Green Party’s two.

Eby named his cabinet earlier this week, appointing 42 of 47 MLAs to a cabinet or parliamentary secretary posting.

Rustad has assigned jobs to 41 members of his 44-MLA caucus.

Both Stamer and Milobar were sworn in as MLAs last week.