The list of responsibilities keeps growing for rookie MLA Michelle Stilwell.
The Parksville Qualicum representative in the B.C. Legislature was sworn-in Tuesday, a day she was also announced as the chair of the B.C. Liberal caucus.
“I’m humbled to be elected by my colleagues to serve them as their Caucus Chair,” Stilwell said in a B.C. Liberal Party news release. “I look forward to fulfilling my duties as Caucus Chair while we deliver on our campaign commitments of balancing the budget, growing B.C.’s economy, controlling spending, and keeping taxes low.”
The same news release described the role of the caucus chair is “to preside over Caucus meetings and act as a link or liaison between private members, cabinet and the premier.”
Stilwell has also been appointed to three of the seven cabinet committees formed this week by Premier Christy Clark.
These new responsibilities come after Stilwell learned last week she is the parliamentary secretary to the minister of health for healthy living, one of 14 MLAs named as parliamentary secretaries by the premier. On Monday, Stilwell was appointed to the Treasury Board, the Cabinet Committee on Secure Tomorrow and the Cabinet Working Group on Core Review.
Stilwell is joining some committees chaired by the most powerful ministers in government. The Treasury Board is chaired by Finance Minister and Government House Leader Mike DeJong, while the Secure Tomorrow committee is chair by Health Minister Terry Lake. Minister of Energy and Mines Bill Bennett chairs the Core Review committee.
