New B.C. cabinet includes 15 women, 7 people of colour
New B.C. cabinet includes 15 women, 7 people of colour
B.C. Premier David Eby has unveiled his new cabinet, which includes some fresh faces and several ministers who will be shifting responsibilities.
On Wednesday morning, Eby revealed his cabinet will include a record-setting 15 women, seven people of colour, one person living with a disability and eight new faces.
It is comprised of 23 ministers and four ministers of state, an expansion of two from the previous cabinet. There are also 14 parliamentary secretaries.
Eby has moved Katrine Conroy to the role of finance minister, and is keeping Health Minister Adrian Dix in place.
The opposition Liberals had called on Dix to be fired, something that likely kept him in his post.
Liberal leader Kevien Falcon noted the government faces a number of crises, including housing, health care, and affordability.
"We are going to continue to point out to the public the massive gap between what this government promises and what's delivered," Falcon told journalists in Vancouver.
In a flurry of recent announcements, the newly minted premier also announced a new and dedicated housing minister. That responsibility, along with being government house leader, now falls to Eby’s NDP leadership co-chair, Ravi Kahlon. Kahlon was previously the minister of jobs.
"My three priorities for me in this role will be speed, supply and synergy," explained Kahlon, saying he wanted to get things done faster, housing supply built quicker and with more co-operation with municipalities.
Niki Sharma is new to cabinet and the role of attorney general, as the government faces ongoing concerns around violent and repeat offenders.
"I got a call from (the premier) saying, 'We'd like you to be the Attorney General of B.C.' and I don't remember anything after that," Sharma told reporters.
As a lawyer, Sharma represented residential school survivors. She added she would continue down the path the government has been on, attempting to deal with public safety by addressing root causes of crime.
Sharma is the first South Asian woman to be Attorney General. She choked up on stage when taking the oath.
"I think about all the women before me, in my family ... that didn't have the opportunities," Sharma said. She told reporters the racism and sexism her relatives encountered is something she would carry with her.
Eby has promised to hire more RCMP officers and his government also provided direction to Crown counsel to pursue detention for violent offenders.
He also doused rumours about a snap election, saying he was committed to fixed election dates. The next provincial general election is scheduled for October 2024.
"We have two years. We have a mandate from British Columbians to deliver," Eby said.
Former finance minister Selina Robinson is now the minister for post-secondary education and future skills. She will also be responsible for foreign credentialing, something Eby has signalled is a priority for his government's plan to fix the province's health-care woes.
Eby has said his priorities for his first 100 days in office include housing, public safety, health care and affordability.
MPs on the Procedure and House Affairs Committee are recommending that hybrid Parliament and the electronic voting system become permanent features of the House of Commons.
A report commissioned by a non-profit organization founded by the late Jean Vanier says the Canadian sexually abused 25 women during his decades with the group.
A six-year-old girl died in hospital Sunday night after being involved in an incident at the Val-Saint-Côme ski resort in Lanaudiere. Quebec police are investigating, though details into the event are not yet known. Officers indicated that it involved a T-bar lift, but they were not able to say more.
The coronavirus remains a global health emergency, the World Health Organization chief said Monday, after a key advisory panel found the pandemic may be nearing an 'inflection point' where higher levels of immunity can lower virus-related deaths.
New guidance for drinking alcohol could speed up changing consumer drinking habits as younger generations drink less and non-alcoholic beverages become more popular, advocates and business owners in the beverage industry say.
Members of Parliament return to Ottawa to resume sitting for the first time in 2023 on Monday, with the state of Canada's health-care system, the health of the Canadian economy, and rates of violent crime in this country all top of mind.
Quebec's minister responsible for secularism, Jean-Francois Roberge, has called on Canada’s new special anti-Islamophobia advisor Amira Elghawaby to apologize and step down.
Mounties are asking the public for help finding a 30-year-old woman missing in Nanaimo, B.C. Police say Samantha Evans has not been heard from since Jan. 11. Her family contacted the Nanaimo RCMP one week later and a missing person's investigation was launched on Jan. 18.
The University of Lethbridge, following a great deal of push back from students and members of the public, says it will not provide space for a planned lecture from a controversial guest speaker.
The Mindbender roller coaster at Galaxyland has been shut down, West Edmonton Mall announced on Monday. The redevelopment of the area is already underway, and the roller coaster is being decommissioned and removed.
A 20-year-old man has been arrested and charged after police say he caused more than $5,000 worth of damage to an Edmonton Transit Bus and threatened a female passenger, acts that drew condemnation from Alberta's premier.
The Farmers' Almanac just revealed its spring 2023 forecast and Ontario, along with much of the rest of Canada, is expected to see a “turbulent transition to warmth,” the agency predicts.
A Toronto passenger said her Sunwing Airlines flight was unforgettable as she recounted the moments after the pilot shut down the plane’s engine mid-flight to Montego Bay on Friday.
A six-year-old girl died in hospital Sunday night after being involved in an incident at the Val-Saint-Côme ski resort in Lanaudiere. Quebec police are investigating, though details into the event are not yet known. Officers indicated that it involved a T-bar lift, but they were not able to say more.
Quebec's minister responsible for secularism, Jean-Francois Roberge, has called on Canada’s new special anti-Islamophobia advisor Amira Elghawaby to apologize and step down.
The Quebec college of physicians revealed Monday that there are 210 more active physicians in the province than last year. The data comes from the "Statistics on the medical workforce in Quebec," as of Dec. 31, 2022. It states that 25,585 doctors were registered with the order, compared to 25,176 on the same date in 2021.
Bobby Hull once proudly said that he played the way he lived -- straightforward. The Hockey Hall of Famer, who electrified fans through the 1960s and 70s, died on Monday at the age of 84. Hull played for the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks before a jump to the Winnipeg Jets of the upstart World Hockey Association in 1972, a move that led to lawsuits but ultimately higher salaries for hockey players.
Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson promoted four backbenchers from suburban Winnipeg areas to her inner circle Monday in a cabinet shuffle eight months out from an election.
A man accused of murder said he has been behind bars at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre for the last 1,310 days and is only allowed out three hours each day.
The Maidstone RCMP are looking for a suspect following the alleged sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl in the dressing room at the Lashburn Sportsplex on Sunday afternoon.
The grisly aftermath of an alleged fatal shooting was described today during the murder trial of a former medical student accused of killing a fellow student in Halifax seven years ago.
Police are investigating the sudden deaths of two people in Saint John, N.B. The Saint John Police Force responded to a medical assistance call at a home on Red Head Road shortly after 8 a.m. Monday.
A person has been charged following the death of a pedestrian in a crash last week. As previously reported by CTV News, a pedestrian was struck by a car near Hamilton Road and Watmar Avenue on Jan. 24.
Police in St. Thomas, Ont. are asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect who they allege participated in a violent home invasion over the weekend.
Two people discovered asleep in a vehicle in Sault Ste. Marie on Jan. 30 were found with weapons and more than $175,000 in illegal drugs, Sault police said Monday.
Actor Annie Wersching, best known for playing FBI agent Renee Walker in the series '24' and providing the voice for Tess in the video game 'The Last of Us' has died. She was 45.
The Brantford Police Service (BPS) is investigating "significant vandalism" to the TH&B Bridge in Brantford, including homophobic vandalism targeting the LGBTQ2S+ community.
