B.C.'s majority-female NDP caucus meets in legislature

A flood of fresh faces arrived on Wednesday at the B.C. legislature for the NDP’s first caucus meeting since the election. Eighteen of them – more than a third of the 47 newly elected MLAs – are new to the job.

“We’ve been watching each other's campaigns, so it's really nice to be in the room together now,” said Diana Gibson, MLA-elect for Oak Bay-Gordon Head.

In the room, the man of the hour was Garry Begg. Subject to a pending judicial recount, his late surge in Surrey-Guildford, fueled by mail-in and absentee ballots, catapulted him to a win in the 47th seat, giving the NDP the narrowest of majorities, and earning him a new nickname.

“The Comeback Kid,” said Begg with a broad smile on his face Wednesday.

The NDP caucus is remarkable for its composition, featuring a record 65 per cent women, part of a B.C. legislature that for the first time has more women than men.

“Our whole caucus reflects the diversity of British Columbia and that is so important,” said Grace Lore, MLA for Victoria-Beacon Hill.

It’s also notable because it will yield a lot of new cabinet ministers selected by Premier David Eby.

“I’m glad I’m not the one having to do it and I'm glad someone else is doing it,” laughed Ravi Kahlon, MLA for Delta North.

Some familiar faces, including Kahlon, who served as Housing Minister in the previous government, and Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth, are sure to return to cabinet but many ministers are gone with five down to defeat in the recent election and another seven who didn't run again, meaning 12 out of 27 cabinet ministers have vanished.

“(It's) really what is a generational turnover in the NDP caucus and potentially in cabinet,” said David Black, a professor at Royal Roads University.

And with such a thin majority of just one seat, the NDP members know they can't miss important votes and need to remain unified.

“There is the added pressure of making sure that we stay united together and be here as a united front,” said Lisa Beare, MLA for Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows.