B.C. Premier David Eby leans on Ravi Kahlon again as he reshuffles cabinet

British Columbia Premier David Eby has leaned on Ravi Kahlon from the moment he officially sought the government's top job, with Kahlon co-chairing his leadership campaign.

When Eby created the province's stand-alone housing ministry in 2022, he asked Kahlon to head it, and when U.S. President Donald Trump launched his trade war on Canada this year, it was Kahlon who Eby picked to chair the cabinet committee on B.C.'s response.

Kahlon remains at the centre of Eby's NDP government after Thursday's cabinet reshuffle, with Eby saying he "needed Ravi" back in the jobs and economic growth ministry, a portfolio he previously headed.

"We have many sectors under direct threat by the United States," Eby said at the unveiling of his revamped team. 

"We have to transition very quickly. He (Kahlon) is bringing deep relationships with the business community, deep experience in government policy. He has been doing a lot of work with our tariff committee, and I'm very thrilled that he's agreed to take that on."

UBC political science lecturer Stewart Prest said Kahlon has assumed the role that Eby held under late premier John Horgan in handling the most difficult files.

"I think Mr. Kahlon being shifted to (the) jobs (ministry) suggests that that is an area where government was underperforming, and Eby needs someone that he can absolutely count on to play that role," Prest said. 

Eby said the reshuffle strategically matched caucus members with different roles to help B.C. weather an economic storm, that the premier said would get worse.

Kahlon, a former Canadian Olympic field hockey player, replaces Diana Gibson, who replaces George Chow as minister for citizens' services. 

Eby disputed that Gibson's move was a demotion, and that Kahlon's high-profile roles show that the premier only trusts a limited number of individuals.     

"We have a very deep bench," Eby said. "We have a remarkable cabinet team, and like a manager or coach of a sports team, when you are facing a particular opponent or a particular moment, you might have to shift some players to ensure that the skills that they bring to the table are meeting the moment for the whole team, and that is what is happening here," he said. 

Kahlon welcomed taking on a familiar role. 

"There is a lot that has happened last year," Kahlon said of the trade war and Trump's annexation threats. 

The BC Chamber of Commerce said it welcomes the return of Kahlon to the jobs portfolio. 

"The minister brings a deep understanding of the complex challenges facing the business community and we are looking forward to working with him and his staff to address the needs of the over 32,000 member businesses across our provincial network," said interim CEO Alex McMillan in a statement. 

Gibson retains a senior cabinet portfolio, but not everyone fared as well.

Garry Begg loses his post as public safety minister and solicitor general to Nina Krieger, who previously served as parliamentary secretary for arts and film. 

Begg will now serve as parliamentary secretary for Surrey infrastructure, which Eby also said was not a demotion.

Eby said Begg did an "exceptional job" managing Surrey's transition from the RCMP to its own police force.

"This is about matching skills to the moment that we face," Eby said. "We are in a moment, in our province, where significant cultural and religious communities feel under profound threat, because of rising racism … because of violent protest and threats directed at places of worship in our province, and in at least one case, arson at a synagogue." 

Eby said Krieger would bring what he called an "incredible background working with communities" to her new role. 

Krieger, who is Jewish, previously served as executive director of the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre. She represents a Victoria riding and said she was familiar with the city's disorder problems. 

"(I) have close working relationships with mayor, with council, and also with business owners and residents, that feel all-too-often unsafe in our downtown core," she said. 

But she acknowledged that she will have to do some catch-up work.

Krieger is one of two new faces around the senior cabinet table, the other being Surrey-area MLA Jessie Sunner. She is the new minister of post-secondary education and future skills, replacing Anne Kang, who moves to tourism, arts, culture and sport. 

Former Vancouver councillor Christine Boyle, meanwhile, will take on Kahlon's former housing portfolio.

Asked whether Boyle's appointment would interrupt any momentum on the housing file, Eby said Boyle would have to deal with "big changes" in the Canadian condo market. B.C. still needs "significant additional new housing" to respond to population growth, he said. 

Uncertainty created by the trade war had only "amplified" various transitions in the housing market, Eby added.

Conservatives Leader John Rustad questioned the shuffle in a statement.

"If David Eby really wanted to show leadership, he'd take responsibility, not hide behind a desperate summer reset," Rustad said. "The people of B.C. deserve a government that will fight for them, not one that's constantly playing politics while British Columbians struggle to make ends meet." 

Prest said he was surprised by the timing of the shuffle, coming less than nine months after Eby announced his cabinet. 

"I thought it was a signal that Premier Eby is looking to put the most trusted members of his cabinet in the most important positions, most important portfolios," Prest said. "(It) suggests that there were a couple of key positions that Mr. Eby thought were underperforming."

Prest specifically pointed to Begg and Gibson. 

HOW THE B.C. RESHUFFLE LOOKS

Jobs and Economic Growth: Ravi Kahlon in, Diana Gibson out

Public Safety and Solicitor General: Nina Krieger in, Garry Begg out

Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills: Jessie Sunner in, Anne Kang out

Housing and Municipal Affairs: Christine Boyle in, Ravi Kahlon out

Citizens' Services: Diana Gibson in, George Chow out

Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport: Anne Kang in, Spencer Chandra-Herbert out

Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation: Spencer Chandra-Herbert in, Christine Boyle out

Minister of State for AI and New Technologies (new role): Rick Glumac in

Picture Courtesy: BC Gov Photos