Conservative Party of BC Leader John Rustad at the swearing-in of his 44 MLAs
By Island Social Trends – November 20, 2024
Wednesday November 20, 2024 | VICTORIA, BC [ Political news coverage by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The BC Conservative shadow cabinet in response to the BC NDP government cabinet was unveiled today.
Conservative Party of British Columbia John Rustad described his shadow cabinet as: “A dynamic team of talented individuals ready to hold David Eby’s disastrous government accountable and present a strong alternative vision for British Columbia.”
Rustad delivered 44 BC Conservative MLAs to the 43rd BC Parliament in the October 19, 2024 provincial election, nipping the heels of the BC NDP who ended up with 47 MLAs. It’s a 93-seat legislative assembly, with two other seats held by the BC Greens.
Diverse and experienced:
“Our shadow cabinet is a diverse and experienced group, committed to restoring prosperity, public safety, and affordability for every British Columbian,” said Rustad. “With experts in every field, we are focused on delivering real solutions for the challenges our province faces.”
“The shadow cabinet reflects the Conservative Party’s vision to build a brighter future for British Columbia,” said Rustad in a news release this afternoon.
Rustad emphasized the historic appointment of Aaliya Warbus as House Leader, given her Indigenous heritage.
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Shadow Cabinet appointments:
The BC Conservative shadow cabinet appointments have some varying titles compared to the BC NDP government cabinet. For example:
- Agriculture is split by the BC Conservatives into two distinct areas: Agriculture, Fisheries and Agricultural Land Commission and also Agriculture Expansion and Food Security (reflecting off of the NDP’s Agriculture and Food ministry).
- Rural has been split differently by the BC Conservatives: Rural Communities and Rural Development as well as Rural Health and Seniors’ Health and also Rural Housing and Building Code (whereas the NDP have two tracks — Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities as well as Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health).
- Transportation and Transit – The BC Conservative shadow cabinet has two MLAs to cover this area (Transportation, and Transit and ICBC) while the NDP cabinet minister for Transportation and Transit is Mike Farnworth.
The appointments are as follows (with more Leadership positions following the November 21 BC Conservative caucus meeting):
Leadership Positions (3):
• Aaliya Warbus – House Leader
• Bruce Banman – Whip
• Sheldon Claire – Deputy Whip
Portfolios (38):
• Tony Luck – Municipal Affairs and Local Government [NDP Housing and Municipal Affairs is Ravi Kahlon; Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities is Brittny Anderson]
• Sharon Hartwell – Rural Communities and Rural Development [Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities is Brittny Anderson; Minister of State for Rural Health is Debra Toporoski]
• Ian Paton – Agriculture, Fisheries and Agricultural Land Commission [NDP Minister of Food and Agriculture is Lana Popham & Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture is Harwinder Sandhu]
• Jordan Kealey – Agriculture Expansion and Food Security [NDP Minister of Food and Agriculture is Lana Popham & Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture is Harwinder Sandhu]
• Steve Kooner – Attorney General [BC’s Attorney General and Deputy Premier is Niki Sharma]
• Dallas Brodie – Attorney General – Justice Reform
• Amelia Boultbee – Children and Family Development [NDP Minister of Children and Family Development is Grace Lore]
• Heather Maahs – Children and Family Development – Indigenous Self-Government in Child and Family Services [NDP Minister of Children and Family Development is Grace Lore]
• Rosalyn Bird – Citizens’ Services [NDP Minister of Citizens’ Services is George Chow]
• Lynne Block – Education [NDP Minister of Education and Child Care is Lisa Beare]
• Mandeep Dhaliwal – Parental Rights and Sports
• Reanne Gasper – Child Care, Children and Youth with Support Needs [NDP Minister of State for Child Care and Children and Youth with Support Needs is Jodie Wickens]
• Hon Chan – Climate Solutions and Climate Readiness
• Larry Neufeld – Natural Gas and LNG [NDP Minister of Energy is Adrian Dix]
• David Williams – BC Hydro and Electricity Self-Sufficiency [NDP Energy and Climate Solutions Minister is Adrian Dix]
• Macklin McCall – Emergency Management [NDP Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness is Kelly Greene]
• Trevor Halford – Environment and Parks [NDP Minister of Environment and Parks is Tamara Davidson]
• Peter Milobar – Finance [NDP Finance Minister is Brenda Bailey]
• Ward Stamer – Forests [NDP Minister of Forests is Ravi Parmar]
• Anna Kindy – Health [NDP Minister of Health is Josie Osborne]
• Claire Rattee – Mental Health and Addictions [NDP has rolled Mental Health and Addictions into the Health ministry]
• Brennan Day – Rural Health and Seniors’ Health [NDP Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors’ Services and Long-Term Care is Susie Chant]
• Linda Hepner – Housing [NDP Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs is Ravi Kahlon]
• Kristina Loewen – Rural Housing and Building Code [NDP Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs is Ravi Kahlon]
• Scott McInnis – Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation [NDP Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation is Diana Gibson]
• Misty Van Popta – Infrastructure and Construction [NDP Minister of Infrastructure is Bowinn Ma]
• Gavin Dew – Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation [NDP cabinet Minister for JEDI is Diana Gibson, supported by Minister of State for Trade, Rick Glumac]
• Kiel Giddens – Labour [NDP Minister of Labour is Jennifer Whiteside]
• Pete Davis – Mining, Critical Minerals and Columbia Treaty [NDP Minister for Mining and Critical Minerals is Jagrup Brar]
• Korky Neufeld – Post-Secondary Education [NDP Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills is Anne Kang]
• Lawrence Mok – Skills Training and International Credentials [NDP Parliamentary Secretary for International Credentials is Sunita Dhir]
• Elenore Sturko – Solicitor General and Public Safety [NDP Solicitor General and Minister of Public Safety is Garry Begg]
• Bryan Tepper – Community Safety and Integrated Services
• Tara Armstrong – Social Development and Poverty Reduction [NDP Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction is Sheila Malcolmson]
• Teresa Wat – Tourism, Arts, Culture, Anti-Racism and Trade [NDP Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport is Spencer Chandra Herbert]
• Harman Bhangu – Transportation [NDP Minister of Transportation and Transit is Mike Farnworth, who is also House Leader]
• Brent Chapman – Transit and ICBC [NDP Minister of Transportation and Transit is Mike Farnworth, who is also House Leader]
• Donegal Wilson – Water, Land, Resource Stewardship and Wildlife Management
