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3 NRIs in Cabinet of British Columbia NDP’s New Government

NDP John Horgan becomes the Premier of B.C.

Greens backed the NDP to defeat Christy Clark’s government.

The victory confirms the May 9 2017 election results at 43 seats for the Liberals, 41 seats for the B.C. NDP and 3 seats for the Greens. No party secured the required 44-seat majority, and so will require at least some partnership in order to govern.

NDP Will Be Good for BC...............Balwant Sanghera

August 6, 2017

                              It has taken fairly long time-more than two months-to have a change in government in British Columbia. John Horgan and his New Democrat cabinet colleagues finally took the oath of office at Government House in Victoria on July 18. It was a great honour for this writer, Link editor R.Paul Dhillon and a large contingent from our community to be present at the swearing –in ceremony and the reception at Government House and the Parliament Building when Horgan and his cabinet were installed in Victoria. Finally, after 16 years, the BC Liberals were sent to the opposition benches by the people of B.C. and BC NDP led by Horgan were given an opportunity to serve the people of British Columbia.

                               Choosing a suitable cabinet was the first major challenge facing Horgan. In this regard he has done very well. Horgan has chosen his cabinet wisely. The eleven men and eleven women who have been given this honour are very capable, competent and dedicated individuals. So far as our community is concerned, John Horgan’s choice of Harry Bains and Jinny Sims as members of his cabinet and Ravi Kahlon as Parliamentary Secretary for Sports and Multiculturalism is excellent. It is likely that we will have one or two more of elected representatives from our community join their ranks later on.

John Joseph Horgan is a Canadian politician and current Premier of British Columbia since July 2017. He is leader of the British Columbia New Democratic Party and MLA. He was born and raised in Victoria, British Columbia.

  • In June 2006, he was appointed the Official Opposition Critic for the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
  • In January 2011, he announced his candidacy for leadership of the NDP in the 2011 leadership election, finishing third.

Harry Bains is a NRI Canadian politician.

Harry Bains was re-elected as the MLA in 2017 elections. He got 57% votes, Gurminder Singh and Parihar-Liberal Party got 29%. Harry Bains was also re-elected as the MLA for Surrey-Newton in May 2013. He was first elected in May 2005 and re-elected to the legislature in May 2009.

Last terms Harry served as opposition critic for Olympics and for Transportation and Infrastructure. Harry has also served as Opposition Critic for Jobs, Employment, Labour and WorkSafeBC..............READ MORE

Jinny Sims (Joginder Kaur) has a long and dedicated history as a teacher, counsellor, union leader and as a strong advocate for public education.

Joginder Kaur Sims was born in Pabwan village. Jinny emigrated to England when she was nine years old. She earned a Bachelor of Education at the University of Victoria in Manchester and moved to Canada in 1975.

After years of teaching in the classroom and being actively involved in the BC Teachers’ Federation, she became Federation president in 2004.

In 2005, she successfully lead the Federation’s fight against the Campbell government for smaller class sizes and better learning conditions for students. .......READ MORE

Ravi Kahlon, Canadian field hockey player, was elected as the MLA for Delta North in 2017.

  • Ravi got international senior cap for the Men's National Team in 2000 against Malaysia in Brussels
  • He is a two time Olympian in the sport for Team Canada and has been inducted into the Delta Sports Hall of Fame.
  • He was born and raised in Victoria, Ravi was introduced to Field Hockey by his father and grandfather...........................READ MORE

                              Serving as a member of the cabinet, regardless of the assigned portfolio, is a great honour in itself for anyone. It empowers that person to be actively involved in the decision making process at the highest level in this province. Furthermore, usually the premier and his advisors are always on the lookout for talent around the cabinet table and on the backbench. Sooner or later, a cabinet member or a backbencher with the ability to do a good job is likely to be rewarded. It is natural that every MLA from the ruling party expects to get a cabinet post. However, in view of the constraints imposed upon him, the premier can’t please everyone as there are only so many spots available for this purpose. So, rather than being critical of the choice of the premier and his advisors, we should recognize the reality and move on.

                              NDP has been out of power for 16 years. As such, it is going to take some time for our premier and cabinet members to learn about their portfolios and their roles rather quickly. As a matter of fact, they have to hit the ground running.  Premier John Horgan has already set a good example in this regard. His back to back trips to Ottawa and Washington so soon after being sworn in reflect Horgan’s strong commitment to British Columbia and Canada. The issues of NAFTA and softwood lumber are crucial to our economy. They will have a lasting impact on all of us. On top of that, we have a large portion of our province that has been hit with a number of wild fires. This poses a serious challenge to the new government. Soon after his arrival back in BC, Horgan, along with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was in the Williams Lake area which is one of the hardest hit areas by wild fires reassuring and comforting victims of this natural disaster. This is a commendable effort by both Trudeau and Horgan.

                              Historically, the NDP has stood with our community through thick and thin. It has never turned its back on our community but has always been there when needed. This is a party of and for ordinary British Columbians. Unlike free enterpriser BC Liberals, NDP believes that it also has the social responsibility especially to help the needy and the downtrodden. Naturally, every political party, when in power, makes mistakes. NDP is no exception. Unfortunately, in case of an NDP government, its accomplishments are usually minimized or ignored completely and mistakes are exaggerated. Hopefully, this won’t happen this time around. Yes, media’s and opposition’s role is to keep the government accountable. This is what makes our democratic process strong and an envy of others. However, the criticism, if any, must be costructive, fair and reasonable. So early in its mandate, the John Horgan government needs our best wishes and support.  I am confident that the newly installed NDP government under John Horgan will work tirelessly in serving this province to the best of its ability.

Balwant Sanghera with Lt. Governor of BC Juith Guichon at Government House in Victoria at the swearing-in ceremony of Premier John Horgan and his Cabinet on July 18. 2017 Balwant Sanghera with Premier John Horgan  at Government House in Victoria on July 18 at  the swearing in ceremony of Premier Horgan and his Cabinet.

Balwant Sanghera (Richmond based Balwant Sanghera is a retired School Psychologist and Community Activist) 

 

 

 

 

 

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