Comox Valley MLA McRae enters Liberal cabinet as agriculture minister

COMOX VALLEY MLA Don McRae is sworn in as agricultural minister by Lieut.-Gov. Steven L. Point in Victoria.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

Share this story

Tweet

• Comox Valley MLA Don McRae 'honoured but surprised' to be new agriculture minister
• BULLETIN: Comox Valley MLA now education minister
• Comox Valley rookie MLA lands in Clark's new cabinet
• McRae education minister, Hansen on government committees
• Campaign-weary Liberal McRae accepts Comox Valley victory
• McRae delivers key Comox Valley riding to victorious Liberals

In her new, smaller cabinet announced Monday, Premier Christy Clark named Comox Valley MLA Don McRae the agriculture minister.

McRae, who was not available for comment, is a first-time MLA, elected in 2009 after previous Liberal MLA Stan Hagen died unexpectedly earlier that year.

Clark said her cabinet will put families first, create jobs and change the way British Columbians engage with their government.

"Our new cabinet will reflect the priorities of British Columbians and put families at the centre of all our decision-making," she said in a statement. "Together, we will focus on creating jobs and building a strong economy because that is the single most important thing we can do to support families and ensure we can invest in critical services like health and education.

"This is a team that will work hard to ensure that prosperity and opportunity extend to every region of our province."

The new cabinet is made up of 17 ministers plus the premier, reduced from the previous total of 24. This includes the new Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, which will bring together many of the functions in government focused on job creation under a single ministry.

As well, three new cabinet committees reflect the priorities of government — the Committee on Families First; the Committee on Jobs and Economic Growth; and the Committee on Open Government and Engagement.

Responsibility for colleges and universities has been recombined under the Ministry of Advanced Education; responsibility for mining has been returned to the Ministry of Energy and Mines; Labour and Citizen Services have been combined; and Forests and Lands has been combined with Natural Resource Operations.

Here is the new cabinet:

Premier - Christy Clark;

Finance and Deputy Premier - Kevin Falcon;

Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation - Mary Polak;

Advanced Education - Naomi Yamamoto;

Agriculture - Don McRae;

Attorney General - Barry Penner;

Children and Family Development - Mary McNeil;

Community, Sport and Cultural Development - Ida Chong;

Education - George Abbott;

Energy and Mines (Minister Responsible for Housing) - Rich Coleman;

Environment - Terry Lake;

Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations - Steve Thomson;

Health - Michael de Jong;

Jobs, Tourism and Innovation - Pat Bell;

Labour, Citizens' Services and Open Government - Stephanie Cadieux;

Public Safety and Solicitor General - Shirley Bond;

Social Development (Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism) - Harry Bloy;

Transportation and Infrastructure - Blair Lekstrom.