Doug Donaldson given nod to take over as Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development

Good morning ... (or afternoon ... or evening -- depending on what time you are reading this. 

Today's post is a mix of my own thoughts ... a BC government News release ... and background information on one of John Horgan's new Cabinet Ministers ... Doug Donaldson (Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development).

BC GOVERNMENT NEWS:  Office of the Premier

Premier John Horgan announced his new cabinet today to build a better B.C. and get results for people.

“Our government will offer families relief from high costs and fees, strengthen services like health care and education, and create good jobs and economic opportunity across B.C.,” said Premier John Horgan.

“We will put people at the heart of everything we do. And we’ll work hard to deliver on our commitments to British Columbians.”

The new cabinet is made up of 20 ministers and two ministers of state. In addition, six MLAs have been named as parliamentary secretaries. Premier Horgan’s cabinet is the first in B.C. history to achieve gender parity, with 10 women named to cabinet and one named minister of state.

Ministerial portfolios reflect the government’s focus on making life better for people including a stand-alone Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, a Minister of State for Child Care, and a Minister for Social Development and Poverty Reduction. The government is also putting a special focus on jobs and opportunity in B.C.’s tech sector.

The government includes a mix of new and experienced MLAs and also includes:

• Four ministers and two parliamentary secretaries aged 40 and under 
• 10 ministers and parliamentary secretaries who identify as a visible minority
• The first First Nations woman appointed to cabinet

“Starting today, we will deliver a government that works for people. We’re going to work hard every day to build a better B.C.,” said Horgan. 

MEMBERS OF THE CABINET:

• Premier – Hon. John Horgan
• Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training – Hon. Melanie Mark
• Minister of Agriculture – Hon. Lana Popham
• Attorney General – Hon. David Eby
• Minister of Children and Family Development – Hon. Katrine Conroy
• Minister of State for Child Care – Hon. Katrina Chen
• Minister of Citizens’ Services – Hon. Jinny Sims
• Minister of Education – Hon. Rob Fleming
• Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources – Hon. Michelle Mungall
• Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy – Hon. George Heyman
• Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier – Hon. Carole James
• Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development – Hon. Doug Donaldson
• Minister of Health – Hon. Adrian Dix
• Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation – Hon. Scott Fraser
• Minister of Jobs, Trade, and Technology – Hon. Bruce Ralston
• Minister of State for Trade – Hon. George Chow
• Minister of Labour – Hon. Harry Bains
• Minister of Mental Health and Addictions – Hon. Judy Darcy
• Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing – Hon. Selina Robinson
• Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General – Hon. Mike Farnworth
• Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction – Hon. Shane Simpson
• Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture – Hon. Lisa Beare
• Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure – Hon. Claire Trevena

Doug Donaldson has served as the MLA for Stikine
since May 13, 2009. Before being elected MLA he served
four terms as a municipal councillor in Hazelton

WITH LITTLE to choose from, with regards to selection of Cabinet Ministers, from outside of Vancouver Island and metro-Vancouver, Doug Donaldson has been given the nod to take over as the Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development.

Donaldson, who hails from the Stikine riding, spoke at the Association for Mineral Exploration (AME) this past January in Vancouver, alongside Green Party leader Andrew Weaver ... and now retired BC Liberal Cabinet Minister Bill Bennett. 

Their session with AME was to ...  provide their mineral exploration and mining policy positions during a facilitated question and answer period with delegates.

The Backgrounder for Minister Donaldson, on the AME Convention website, stated that:

Doug Donaldson is serving his second term as Member of the Legislative Assembly for Stikine after winning re-election in 2013. He is the Official Opposition spokesperson for energy and mines. Previous roles with the Official Opposition caucus included the children and families, aboriginal relations, and deputy finance portfolios as well as deputy chair of the Select Standing Committee on Finance.

Doug’s previous experience in Stikine includes working in community economic development, forestry, tourism, education, communications and journalism for First Nation and non-First Nation organizations.

Doug lived in Smithers and Telkwa before making his home on the Gitxsan territories in Two-Mile, outside of Hazelton. He travels extensively throughout the Stikine constituency – the largest in the province — which overlays the territories of seven First Nations and stretches from Telkwa-Smithers-Hazelton along Hwy 16 all the way north along Hwy 37 to the Yukon border.

Doug lives with his wife on a small acreage where they grow most of their own food with a market-size garden, sheep, turkeys, chickens, llamas, a large root cellar and a walk-in smokehouse for preparing wild salmon from the Skeena watershed. They have two adult children

With Forestry and Mining continuing to play a strong and important role for jobs, and the financial well-being of the province, it will be interesting to see how he leads / directs that Ministry.  This especially in light of Andrew Weavers Green Party's necessary support to the NDP.

And now, we begin Day Number Two of John Horgan's NDP government.  Let's see where this day leads us.

In Kamloops, I'm Alan Forseth.  The floors your now, let's hear from you.