Sunday January 5, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
After the BC Throne Speech on February 18, the first sitting day of the 43rd Parliament will get rolling on Wednesday February 19.
In the weeks that MLAs sit as the Legislative Assembly, their sitting days are Monday through Thursday.
See the BC Parliamentary Calendar here:
Many new MLAs:
This will be a whole new experience for most of the 93 MLAs. At least half of Eby’s 45 MLAs were elected for the first time in October 2024.
Mandate letters have not yet been issued to cabinet ministers; that would have normally taken place during the cabinet swearing-in (held on November 18) but Eby wanted more time to sort out the directions of his uniquely-composed cabinet.
Nearly all of the 44 BC Conservative MLAs are new in the official opposition led by John Rustad.
Both BC Green MLAs are brand new to being elected politicians. They have made an agreement to support the BC NDP MLAs based on some targeted expectations.
Who’s who in the 2025 Eby BC NDP cabinet:
Premier David Eby’s cabinet of 2025 has really just a handful of fully seasoned MLAs.
Among those would be Adrian Dix (Energy and Climate Solutions), Mike Farnworth (Transportation and Transit, as well as being house leader), Ravi Kahlon (Housing and Municipal Affairs), Lana Popham (Agriculture and Food), Anne Kang (Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills), Sheila Malcolmson Social Development and Poverty Reduction), Jennifer Whiteside (Labour) and Lisa Beare (Education and Child Care).
- Also coming back with significant experience as cabinet ministers are Niki Sharma (Attorney General and Deputy Premier), Brenda Bailey (Finance), Josie Osborne (Health), Bowinn Ma (Infrastructure) and George Chow (Citizens’ Services).
- Returning to cabinet but stepping up from minister of state to minister is Jagrup Brar (Mining and Critical Minerals).
- Returning to cabinet but stepping up from parliamentary secretary to minister is Kelly Greene (Emergency Management and Climate Readiness).
- With MLA experience but new to cabinet with a ministerial portfolio are Spencer Chandra Herbert (Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport) and Ravi Parmar (Forests, as well as being deputy house leader).
- With experience in the role of parliamentary secretary but now in cabinet as a minister of state are Brittny Anderson (Local Governments and Rural Communities) and Rick Glumac (Trade).
- With some MLA experience but new to cabinet as a parliamentary secretary is Joan Phillip (Community Development and Non-Profits).
- Returning to cabinet as a parliamentary secretary is Susie Chant (Seniors’ Services and Long-Term Care).
- Second-term MLA Grace Lore is again in cabinet but has stepped aside for health reasons, leaving the key portfolio of Minister of Children and Family Development to nearly-new MLA Jodie Wickens.
Provincial-level political newcomers in the BC NDP cabinet:
With elected municipal experience but new to elected politics at the provincial level and now in the provincial cabinet as ministers are Christine Boyle (Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation) and Diana Gibson (Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation).
With elected municipal experience but new to elected politics at the provincial level and now in cabinet as parliamentary secretaries are Dana LaJeunesse (Accessibility), Steve Morrisette (Rural Development), and Darlene Rotchford (Labour).
With elected First Nations experience but new to elected politics at the provincial level and now in cabinet as a parliamentary secretary is Debra Toporowski (Rural Health).
Brand new to elected politics and suddenly into the cabinet as ministers are Garry Begg (Public Safety and Solicitor General), Tamara Davidson (Environment and Parks) and Randene Neill (Water, Land and Resource Stewardship).
New to elected politics and to cabinet as Minister of State is Terry Yung (Community Safety and Integrated Services).
New to elected politics and to cabinet in the role of parliamentary secretary are Jessie Sunner (Anti-Racism Initiatives), Jennifer Blatherwick (Gender Equity), Amna Shah (MEntal Health and Additions), Paul Choi (Asia Pacific Trade), Sunita Dhir (International Credentials), George Anderson (Transit), and Nina Krieger (Arts and Film).
BC NDP caucus chair is new MLA Stephanie Higginson (a former school board chair).
BC Conservatives profile:
BC Conservative MLAS with prior experience in the Legislative Assembly include party leader John Rustad, Bruce Banman (returning as Party Whip), Peter Milobar (returning as critic for Finance), Elenore Sturko (returning as critic for Solicitor General and Public Safety) and Trevor Halford (now critic for Environment and Parks), and Teresa Wat (returning as critic for Tourism, Arts, Culture, Anti-Racism and Trade).
With 44 MLAs, the BC Conservative caucus is only one seat short of having won the October 19, 2024 election that might have formed a majority government. BC Conservative caucus chair is brand-new MLA Jody Toor.
BC Green team:
The two BC Green MLAs are Jeremy Valeriote and Rob Botterell who — through their party’s agreement with the BC NDP — have an extraordinary amount of power to influence the outcomes of the 43rd BC Parliament.
Party Leader Sonia Furstenau was not re-elected in the fall 2024 general election but remains as party leader.
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