Potential cost to leaving Okanagan representative out of newly-formed NDP cabinet

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Vernon-Lumby's Harwinder Sandhu is the only NDP MLA elected

The only Okanagan NDP MLA elected to the B.C. Legislature has not been given a cabinet position — a move one political scientist warns could come with a cost.

After narrowly forming a majority government, Premier David Eby unveiled his new cabinet on Monday.

Despite some speculation, Vernon-Lumby MLA Harwinder Sandhu was not given a cabinet position. The choice to not elevate Sandhu to the top table is notable, says Stewart Prest, a University of British Columbia lecturer who holds a PhD in political science.

“Given that the NDP has had some troubles building those relationships with relatively more interior and rural parts of the province, it is certainly worth asking those questions about if the priority is not there, where are the priorities for the government?” Prest said.

“Leaving Sandhu in a parliamentary secretary role, it does represent a choice and a potential cost in not elevating an important rural voice, of which there are relatively few in the cabinet, and indeed in the caucus in general for the NDP.”

Sandhu was named the parliamentary secretary for agriculture — a slight change from her previous position as parliamentary secretary for seniors' services and long-term care.

Prest said a parliamentary secretary can still help focus issues, but isn’t considered a senior member like a full cabinet minister responsible for making ministry decisions. He noted Sandhu still gives somewhat of a voice to Okanagan constituents, even if it’s not in a more senior role.

When asked if there is a reason obvious to experts why Sandhu wasn’t assigned a cabinet role, Prest said no.

He pointed out several rookie MLAs were elevated to cabinet roles, noting Sandhu had qualities making her a good choice — including her ability to represent the B.C. Interior.

While Sandhu is the only NDP MLA elected, a number of residents did vote for the NDP. Loyal Wooldridge narrowly lost Kelowna Centre by just 40 votes to Conservative Kristina Loewen.

While many different factors go into cabinet assignments, a big aspect this election was the smaller pool of NDP MLAs. Eby won a slim majority with just 47 seats of the 93-seat legislature.

“It may also be the case that this is an NDP that considers itself to have an embarrassment of riches with regard to caucus members to choose from, and just not able to find all the spaces for the people who they would like to put into those places of responsibility,” Prest said.

The rural voice is being represented by Okanagan's neighbour, Kootenay Central’s Brittny Anderson. Anderson was assigned the Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities.

MLAs elevated to cabinet receive a 50 per cent pay bump. The base salary is $119,532.72, and a cabinet minister will receive an additional $59,766.37.

Ministers of State receive $41,836.46 on top of the base, and parliamentary secretaries receive $17,929.91 over the base.

-with files from The Canadian Press