On Thursday, Premier David Eby announced and swore in an updated cabinet that saw newly-elected MLA Christine Boyle step into the role of Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs that was held by Ravi Kahlon, the new Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth.
Boyle’s political career first began in the City of Vancouver, where she was elected as a councillor in the 2018 municipal election as a member of OneCity Vancouver. She was one of just three councillors elected in the 2022 municipal election who was not a member of Mayor Ken Sim’s ABC Vancouver party, which swept into power with a supermajority of seven councillors (plus the Mayoral seat.)
Boyle was the first OneCity Vancouver candidate to be elected as a councillor and some of her main focuses while serving on Vancouver City Council were reconciliation, climate, and housing. On housing, Boyle was a proponent of the controversial Arbutus supportive housing project and also pushed for expedited approvals for affordable housing projects, among other things.
In April 2024, Boyle was then officially nominated as the BC NDP’s candidate for Vancouver-Little Mountain, where she would ultimately win 62.11% of the popular vote in the October provincial election. Following the election, she was appointed as Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, the role she served in before today’s shuffle to the Ministry of Housing. (This April, a by-election was held that saw OneCity’s Lucy Maloney essentially fill the seat Boyle vacated.)
Boyle replaces Ravi Kahlon, who was named Minister of Housing in December 2022 after Premier Eby announced that he was creating a standalone housing ministry. British Columbia had a dedicated housing ministry in the 1970s, but the housing file was later folded into other ministries. Prior to being elected Premier, Eby himself served as both Attorney General and the Minister of Housing.
During his time as Minister of Housing, Kahlon executed many of the actions that Eby promised during his election campaign, including the creation of the Rental Protection Fund and the BC Builds program, both of which are now being replicated by the Government of Canada and could soon be replicated in Ontario. Kahlon was also at the helm of the suite of housing legislation the Province introduced in 2023, including those pertaining to housing supply targets, small-scale multi-unit housing (Bill 44), amenity cost charges (Bill 46), and transit-oriented areas (Bill 47), among several others.
READ: Interview: Ravi Kahlon On His First Year As BC’s Minister Of Housing
Many municipal governments have been critical of the changes as too one-size-fits-all and top-down, although many others — and many in the development industry — have applauded the boldness and the intent of the actions. As many of those pieces of legislation are still in the process of being fully implemented, in addition to the downturn in the market that has tempered new construction, their true impacts may not be known for several more years.
Later on in his tenure, Kahlon showed an increasing willingness to listen to industry stakeholders and make adjustments. Last year, he walked back some changes regarding a new eviction notice rule after industry pushback. In the last few weeks, he also announced a series of changes pertaining to development cost charges (DCCs) that the development industry has said would help them move projects forward.
Rahlon’s shift to the Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth, although perhaps surprising, makes sense. The first cabinet position he held was as the Minster of Jobs, Economic Recovery, and Innovation during the COVID-19 pandemic. More recently, after US President Donald Trump initiated a trade war, Kahlon was appointed as the Chair of a new committee created by the Province that would be focused on the tariff threat.
“The task force I’ve been asked to lead, while working with my colleagues, is focused on three things,” Kahlon told STOREYS in an interview earlier this year. “One: to figure out what our potential response can look like, from the Province in partnership with other provinces. Second is how do we strengthen both our local economy, our local production, our local industries. And third is looking to diversify and how to find new markets for products that perhaps used to go to the US and 1752955972 maybe can’t.”
READ: BC Minister Of Housing Ravi Kahlon On His New Mandate And The Year Ahead
The shuffle thus allows Kahlon to focus on economic matters full-time, without having to also juggle the housing file, while elevating Boyle to a position she is well-equipped for thanks to her experience in municipal government.
Aside from Boyle and Kahlon, six other ministries were impacted by the cabinet shuffle, with Premier Eby saying that the changes “prioritize the specific skills and experience of ministers to meet the current moment.” The full list of changes are:
- Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs;
- Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth;
- Nina Krieger, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General;
- Jessie Sunner, Minister of Post Secondary Education and Future Skills;
- Diana Gibson, Minister of Citizens’ Services;
- Anne Kang, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport;
- Spencer Chandra-Herbert, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation; and
- Rick Glumac, Minister of State for AI and New Technologies.
“This cabinet features a majority of women (19), holding some of the most significant and complex portfolios,” said Eby in a press release. “It is balanced with seasoned experience and fresh perspectives, ensuring a government that reflects the diversity and values of British Columbians. New faces are stepping up to bring the perspectives and priorities of the next generation to the cabinet table. Experienced ministers are tasked with driving forward major projects and economic prosperity and strengthening core service portfolios. “
Also announced this morning was that several MLAs are moving into new parliamentary secretary roles. Amna Shah is the new parliamentary secretary for anti-racism initiatives, mental health and addictions; Garry Begg is the new parliamentary secretary for Surrey infrastructure; George Chow is the new parliamentary secretary for the Downtown Eastside and Chinatown; and Paul Choi is the new parliamentary secretary for trade.