Former finance minister Colin Hansen is out of B.C. Premier Christy Clark's cabinet, while some new faces are in.
Clark was sworn in as premier in a ceremony at Government House in Victoria Monday.
She also revealed her trimmed-down cabinet of 17 ministers, including Ida Chong, Mary Polak and former leadership rivals Mike de Jong, Kevin Falcon and George Abbott. Former backbencher Harry Bloy -- the only MLA to support Clark's leadership bid -- joins Terry Lake, Don McCrae and Blair Lekstrom as new faces in the cabinet.
Lekstrom quit the cabinet and caucus over the harmonized last fall, exposing the inner turmoil over the tax that eventually cost Campbell his job. Hansen took much of the blame for the hated HST.
Hansen, former education minister Margaret MacDiarmid, former labour minister Iain Black, former social development minister Kevin Krueger and former environment minister Murray Coell will not be returning to the team.
The new B.C. cabinet includes:
- Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance Kevin Falcon
- Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Mary Polak
- Minister of Advanced Education Naomi Yamamoto
- Minister of Agriculture Don McRae
- Attorney General Barry Penner
- Minister of Children and Family Development Mary McNeil
- Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development Ida Chong
- Minister of Education George Abbott
- Minister of Energy and Mines (minister responsible for housing) Rich Coleman
- Minister of Environment Terry Lake
- Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson
- Minister of Health Michael de Jong
- Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation Pat Bell
- Minister of Labour, Citizens' Services and Open Government Stephanie Cadieux
- Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Shirley Bond
- Minister of Social Development (minister responsible for multiculturalism) Harry Bloy
- Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Blair Lekstrom
Clark will soon face a province-wide referendum on the HST -- a referendum she says she will move up to June 24 from Sept. 24.
"Our government will be open to the people of British Columbia. We will talk about our problems, we will set our priorities openly and we will work with citizens to find solutions," Clark said in a speech clearly aimed at voters angry about the HST.
"You may not always agree with us and all the decisions that we make but to the greatest degree possible, you won't be surprised at the course that we take and you will know for certain why we've chosen it."
With files from The Canadian Press
