Voices representing communities outside B.C.'s urban centres are praising Premier David Eby's cabinet choices, but the assessment from the political opposition is more critical. Another expert, meanwhile, points to some of the structural challenges facing the B.C. NDP.
Eby, who was elected in his Vancouver-Point Grey riding, promised to bridge the urban-rural divide after the last provincial election campaign had left his party with a bare, one-seat majority. While the B.C. NDP lost several seats in the suburbs of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, its presence outside the major population centres further shrank.
Overall, the party won five seats on the provincial mainland that lies beyond the unofficial gateway community of Hope.
This calculus undoubtedly complicated cabinet choices, which must balance various considerations. Two rookie MLAs Tamara Davidson (North Coast-Haida Gwaii) and Randene Neill (Powell River-Sunshine Coast) immediately jumped into cabinet as full ministers: Davidson as Minister of Environment and Parks, Neill as Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.
Two-time MLA Brittny Anderson (Kootenay-Central) also entered cabinet as Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities, working directly out of the Premier's Office. Two-time MLA Harwinder Sandhu (Vernon-Lumby) did not make the jump into cabinet, but will serve as parliamentary secretary for agriculture with Lana Popham (Saanich South) heading the Ministry of Agriculture.
First-time MLA and former Fruitvale mayor Steve Morrisette (Kootenay-Monashee) will serve as parliamentary secretary for rural development.
New Democrats also won a handful of rural ridings on Vancouver Island, including Mid Island-Pacific Rim, whose MLA Josie Osborne has replaced Adrian Dix as B.C.'s health minister. It is this appointment, that is drawing high praise from rural voices.
Merritt Mayor Michael Goetz welcomed the change in the health ministry.
"I have said in the past, a new set of eyes and a new mindset is what is needed, and hopefully the new (minister) will move us in a direction that can start to fix the health-care problem," he said. "We as mayors of small communities and cities are willing to throw our thoughts into the conversation and do our part to make this work. If we work together, we can make some real changes that will benefit our communities."
Goetz paired this outreach with an appeal to give Osborne time. Change won't happen overnight, he said. "(We) all need to allow this (minister) to get up to speed and be ready to work with all of us going forward," he said.
Paul Adams, executive director of the Princeton-based, non-partisan Rural Health Network, also praised Osborne's appointment, but also highlighted the appointment of Anderson.
"The creation of a new Minister of State for Municipal Government and Rural Communities ... signals a positive step toward strengthening connections between Victoria and the rural areas of the province, many of which are now represented by the (provincial Conservatives)," he said. "While bridging the urban-rural divide will undoubtedly be a significant challenge given the existing disconnect, this new role offers a meaningful opportunity to rebuild trust and communication."
Adams also praised the appointment of Davidson, a member of the Haida Nation, as B.C.'s first Indigenous minister responsible for the environment. He said her "inclusion" in cabinet demonstrates a commitment to consider diverse rural and Indigenous viewpoints. "This diversity is critical as the government seeks to navigate the complexities of rural healthcare and other pressing issues," Adams said.
Reaction from the opposition, meanwhile, has been, as one might expect, critical.
Conservative Party of B.C. Leader John Rustad, whose riding is Nechako Lakes, said the overall cabinet choices show Eby has what he called a "weak bench" in referring to the appointments for the lower-profile positions.
"Quite frankly, there's an old song that came to mind when I saw his appointments and that's an old Trooper song, 'We are here for a good time, not a long time,'" he said.
Rustad said he was surprised that Eby did not appoint Sandhu to a full cabinet post.
Sandhu defended her riding when many other New Democrats running outside Metro Vancouver and Greater Victoria either lost their seats as incumbents or finished distant seconds, the exception being Loyal Wooldridge, who nearly won Kelowna-Centre.
Sandhu had flipped Vernon-Lumby, formerly known as Vernon-Monashee, for the B.C. NDP in 2020, defeating B.C. Liberal MLA Eric Foster, who had held the riding for more than a decade as part of a long line of right-of-centre representatives dating back to the Social Credit years.
When asked about Sandhu's absence from cabinet, Eby said Monday (Nov. 18) after the cabinet swearing-in ceremony that every MLA has a specific role to play.
"The voices of MLAs that represent rural communities will be critically important," he said. "You will see that I have created a very specific role, a dedicated minister (Anderson) who will work with my office ... to make sure that that voice is at the cabinet table."
But if Eby called Anderson that "critical" voice, he is also expecting all MLAs, not just those from rural communities, to help address rural issues.
The Premier's Office said in an additional statement that Sandhu is an "excellent representative" for her community.
"We’ve heard directly from people in her riding of Vernon-Lumby how passionately Harwinder responds to the needs of her constituents and fights to make things better," it reads. "Premier Eby has complete faith in her and that is why he appointed her as the Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, a critically important sector that will greatly benefit from her dedication and determination to the farmers and growers in her region across B.C."
Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming, meanwhile, described Sandhu as a "strong advocate" for the region.
"We congratulate her on her re-election and appointment and remain committed to working with her, as well as with the provincial government, to address the needs of our community," he said.
Cumming also said that council remains committed to building upon the positive working relationships, which it has developed with provincial representatives, "(regardless) of which government is in office or which MLA" heads any particular ministry. "Our focus is on finding practical, collaborative solutions that improve the lives of those who live and work in Vernon."
UBC political scientist Stewart Prest said Eby's government finds itself in a scenario where it can only do so much, given the nature of the caucus, when it comes to representing rural B.C.
"But we do see a number of MLAs, who are coming from relatively more rural areas of the province, are being put in important positions in cabinet," Prest said. He specifically pointed to Davidson's appointment. "That's important and is going to be a controversial file," he added. The same can also be said about Neill's appointment, he added.
But what about the dominance of MLAs from Metro Vancouver in senior cabinet portfolios like finance, attorney-general and public safety?
"I think this is an on-going problem for the NDP, to some extent a matter of personnel, but it is also a preference of Mr. Eby as well," Prest said. "He is governing from Vancouver and this is government that looks quite urban in outlook."
