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Clark unveils cabinet with 19 ministers

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Premier Christy Clark has revealed her new cabinet in downtown Vancouver.

It's a mix of veterans and new faces.

Here are the big four: Mike de Jong remains as finance minister, Terry Lake moves from environment to the ministry of health, Peter Fassbender is the new education minister and Suzanne Anton has been named justice minister.

Rich Coleman becomes the first minister of natural gas development, and retains his title as deputy premier.

Clark says his job will be to hammer out deals on regulation and taxation with proponents of liquid natural gas plants.

"I’d like to have that first one wrapped up before I go on the next trade mission to Asia because we are going to be selling liquefied natural gas. And I want to be going there telling them a different story than I did last time, which is we've made progress, we're going to be the most competitive liquid natural gas jurisdiction in the world, and we've got that framework laid out so everyone can see it."

Other new ministries include core review (a look at government spending); technology, innovation and citizens' services; and international trade, Asia Pacific strategy and multiculturalism.

Vancouver-Fraserview MLA Suzanne Anton says she has to get up to speed before she talks about things like justice reform.

She was asked about the fact she’s the only cabinet minister from a Vancouver riding.

"That is an interesting question and Vancouver is a little short on representation generally. There are only four MLAs from Vancouver and there are some big issues in the City of Vancouver that I will be watching out for aside from my new role as justice minister."

She says she’s not a rookie because of her nine years in Vancouver city council.

Notable liberals passed up include former cabinet member Moira Stilwell, longtime MLA Ralph Sultan and former Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan.

De Jong says he will re-introduce the budget he first tabled in February, with just a few adjustments to reflect the changing economy.

"There shouldn't be any speculation about what the budget or the reintroduced budget will look like. It'll be updated in the same way that quarterly reports are updated through the year."

De Jong says that budget will be balanced, and the government will pass it in a summer session of the legislature that could start later this month.    

Clark welcomed more than 2,000 people to her the ceremony at Canada Place in Vancouver – a departure from the usual ceremony at Government House in Victoria.

"I was elected by the people of British Columbia, not by a tiny elite of people somewhere, and I wanted to share this day with the people of the province as much as I could."

Liberal party donors paid for the event, rather than the provincial taxpayer.

Here is the full cabinet list:

Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation: John Rustad

Advanced Education: Amrik Virk

Agriculture: Pat Pimm

Children and Family Development: Stephanie Cadieux

Community, Sport and Cultural Development: Coralee Oakes

Education: Peter Fassbender

Energy and Mines and Core Review: Bill Bennett

Environment: Mary Polak

Finance and Government House Leader: Michael de Jong

Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations: Steve Thomson

Health: Terry Lake

International Trade, Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism: Teresa Wat

Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Labour: Shirley Bond

Tourism and Small Business: Naomi Yamamoto

Justice and Attorney General: Suzanne Anton

Social Development and Social Innovation: Don McRae

Technology, Innovation and Citizens' Services: Andrew Wilkinson

Transportation and Infrastructure and Deputy House Leader: Todd Stone

Parliamentary Secretary appointees

Norm Letnick - Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier for
Intergovernmental Affairs.

Greg Kyllo - Parliamentary Secretary for the BC Jobs Plan to the
Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training.

Linda Reimer - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Community,
Sport and Cultural Development for Communities.

Jane Thornthwaite - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of
Education for Student Support and Parent Engagement.

Marc Dalton - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Education for
the Independent School Sector.

Donna Barnett - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Forests,
Lands and Natural Resource Operations for Rural Development.

Dan Ashton - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister Responsible for
Core Review.

Linda Larson - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health for
Seniors.

Michelle Stilwell - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health
for Healthy Living.

Darryl Plecas - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and
Attorney General for Crime Reduction.

Laurie Throness - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice
and Attorney General for Corrections.

John Yap - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and
Attorney General for Liquor Policy Reform.

Jordan Sturdy - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of
Transportation and Infrastructure for Transportation.

Richard T. Lee - Parliamentary Secretary for the Asia Pacific Strategy
to the Minister of International Trade and Minister Responsible for the
Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism.


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