Premier names new cabinet heading into election

Premier Gordon Campbell shuffled his Liberal cabinetMonday in preparation for an election less than a year away.

The changes are designed to realign the provincial cabinet to provide more integrated services across the B.C. government, Campbell stated in a press release.

The changes include five new ministers and new portfolios for seven current ministers.

New ministers appointed on Monday:

• Joan McIntyre, minister for intergovernmental relations
• Blair Lekstrom, minister of community development
• Mary Polak, minister of healthy living and sport
• Iain Black, minister of labour and citizens' services
• Bill Bennett, minister of tourism, culture and the arts

Ministers with new portfolios:

• Stan Hagen, minister of agriculture and lands
• Gordon Hogg, minister of state for mining
• Colin Hansen, minister of finance and minister responsible for the Olympics
• Pat Bell, minister of forests and range
• Rich Coleman, minister of housing and social development
• Kevin Krueger, minister of small business and revenue and minister responsible forderegulation
• Ida Chong, minister of technology, trade and economic development and minister responsible for the Asia-Pacific Initiative

The remaining cabinet ministers will retain their existing portfolios, including Attorney General Wally Oppal, Health Services Minister George Abbott and Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Kevin Falcon.

Four outgoing cabinet members previously announced they would not seek re-electionnext May, including finance minister Carole Taylor, labour minister Olga Illich, employment minister Claude Richmond and revenue minister Rick Thorpe.