The Clark government sworn, what does it mean for rural BC and natural resources?

Now that I see the details, my opinion has changed - go to this post please.

BC needs to have a strong ministry of Agriculture, or Forests, or Energy and Mines and of the Environment, I do not know if anything of this sort has happened with the new cabinet.


Steve Thomson is now the Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources - does he still have control over almost everything out there?   Is there much point to having Rich Coleman with Energy and Mines if there is no real ministry there?   Will Don McRae and Terry Lake, Agriculture and Environment respectively, have much to do?  


The reorganization in October has caused logistical nightmare in Crown Land governance in BC.   Keeping that reorg only makes sense if you have a single minister for all the dirt ministries, but that does not strike me as the best way forward.


A smart government will dramatically increase the funding of Crown Land governance in BC.   We have seen years, really decades, of a slow strangling of our ability to look after and manage Crown Lands in BC.   We need a strong statement in favour of this change through the addition of large numbers of civil service staff in rural BC.    Crown Lands related civil servants need to be located close to the rocks, trees, waters, fish and animals of the province, not siting in the cities.    The staff need to be where the lands are.


I will read through the full OIC when it comes out online and comment some more later today.