ANNE Kang was on Wednesday appointed Minister of Citizens’ Services, filling the vacancy left by Jinny Sims’ resignation in October following the appointment of a special prosecutor for an RCMP investigation related to her.
Kang will connect more rural, remote and Indigenous communities with high-speed internet, creating jobs and opportunities for people and businesses. She will continue the work to modernize government procurement, so that more local, small and medium-sized companies can do business with government more efficiently.
Michelle Mungall has been appointed as Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness, formerly the Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology under Bruce Ralston. She will continue to promote B.C.’s tech sector, economic growth in communities around the province and support business competitiveness. Mungall will be responsible for trade, and engage with industry associations and major sectors on government’s approach to quality economic growth.
Ralston has been appointed Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, which was Mungall’s portfolio. Key priorities include implementation of ministry initiatives supporting CleanBC – government’s plan for climate action – and in so doing, support innovation and development in the clean technology sector, including renewable energy and carbon capture and storage. Ralston will also oversee BC Hydro and make sure B.C.’s wealth of clean, renewable electricity powers the province into the future. He will continue to serve as lead minister for consular affairs.
“British Columbia has tremendous advantages,” Premier John Horgan said. “We have rich, natural resources, innovative technologies, skilled entrepreneurs and a competitive business environment. Our government has shown that investing in services people need and making life more affordable grows our economy and helps B.C. remain resilient. We’re going to keep working for people and make sure our economy works for everyone, in every region.”
With these appointments, B.C.’s cabinet remains gender-balanced.
BC Green Party interim leader Adam Olsen said: “The B.C. Green Caucus welcomes Ministers Ralston, Mungall and Kang to their new cabinet portfolios, and we look forward to working with them to advance British Columbia into the 2020s. BC’s economy is primed to capitalize on the opportunities that arise from the emerging economy. I hope that the removal of ‘technology’ from the name of the ministry does not reveal a lack of support for critical role innovation plays in our economy. We have a unique opportunity in this province to harness innovation to build a resilient and sustainable economy – we cannot let this pass us by.”
Executive Council of the B.C. government:
John Horgan, Premier
Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training
Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture
David Eby, Attorney General
Katrine Conroy, Minister of Children and Family Development
Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Child Care
Anne Kang, Minister of Citizens’ Services
Rob Fleming, Minister of Education
Bruce Ralston, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources
George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
Carole James, Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier
Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
Adrian Dix, Minister of Health
Scott Fraser, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation
Michelle Mungall, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness
George Chow, Minister of State for Trade
Harry Bains, Minister of Labour
Judy Darcy, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions
Selina Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General
Shane Simpson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction
Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture
Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure
