NDP to usher in gender-balanced cabinet as it ousts Liberal-appointed staff – Vancouver Sun

NDP Leader John Horgan, shown after his June 29 meeting with Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon at Government House in Victoria, will be sworn Tuesday as B.C.s 36th premier. CHAD HIPOLITO / CANADIAN PRESS Files

VICTORIA B.C.s New Democrats will introduce a gender-balanced cabinet Tuesday, as the party transitions to power a day after laying off more than 100 Liberal political appointees at the legislature.

The cabinet will be a mix of old and new NDP MLAs, but will also maintain a balanced proportion of male and female ministers. Yet the NDP will stop short of creating a stand-alone ministry of womens equality, which the party has operated in past governments. Instead, the new government is expected to consider womens equality and gender equity issues in each ministry separately.

Premier-designate John Horgan will become B.C.s 36th premier during a ceremony at 2 p.m. at Government House, where his cabinet will then be officially unveiled. NDP MLAs who made the cut received phone calls late Monday evening telling them of their portfolio.

Horgans first public event will be anopen house at the legislature Tuesday evening, where the new premier and his cabinet will mingle with the crowd.

Its an opportunity for the public to come and tour the legislature, to meet the new cabinet, to meet the new MLAs and to have a chance to see their new government get down to work, said NDP MLA Carole James, who is widely expected to be named finance minister on Tuesday.

We expect a big crowd and lots of families.

Former NDP leader Carole James is expected to be named as B.C.s new finance minister on Tuesday. CHAD HIPOLITO / PNG

Tuesdays swearing-in of the new NDP government waspreceded Monday by its transition team terminating numerous Liberal staff, senior civil servants and communications officials inside government, as the party prepared to install its own officials in key positions.

Across government about 125 BC Liberal-appointed staff are leaving, said NDP spokesperson Jen Holmwood. The staff we are replacing were politically appointed by the Liberals. This is not unique to our government. This is actually fewer than the Liberals let go in 2001.

Such terminations are not unusual when one political party replaces another in government.

Staff inside the 220-person government communications branch appeared particularly hard-hit by the firings, with deputy minister John Paul Fraser being removed by the NDP. The incoming New Democrat head of the civil service Don Wright will set his own senior management team of deputy ministers, and several other Liberals were believed to be displaced.

Several communications directors were also let go, including finance ministry communications director Jamie Edwardson, widely considered one of the most professional and non-partisan of the officials in government communications. Many staff in ministerial offices were also fired, which includes a mixture of partisan assistants and non-partisan scheduling clerks.

James described the staff turnover as a routine part of transitioning to a new government and downplayed the numbers.

You are not looking at wholesale change. You are looking at people who are able to fit and able to be committed to the agenda we are moving ahead with, she said. So its a number of very committed civil servants who are staying and doing good work and will continue to do good work and you will see some changes that you always see with a change in government.

James said the NDP will at a future date release the exact figures on firings. Terminated staff are eligible for severance of generally up to 18 months salary depending on their years of service, age and other considerations though the NDP did not have a breakdown of costs available yet or a list of the new NDP staff.

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NDP to usher in gender-balanced cabinet as it ousts Liberal-appointed staff - Vancouver Sun