NEWS PENTICTON WESTERN
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Explosion in Olalla sends one to hospital with severe injuries
VOL. 47 ISSUE 47
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013
entertainment Rattlesnake Shakes surf
music rides into the city
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NEWS PENTICTON WESTERN
Midget Heat lacrosse player excited to play for Team B.C.
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Wine bloggers give Penticton a high score
LEAVING ON THE RIGHT NOTE — Members of the Columbia Elementary School choir (left to right, top row) Linden Burns, Bethany Holloway and Evan Hartviksen and (bottom row) Caleb Bedard, Dajaka Trask and David Cai perform a song during a recent year-end concert. Schools throughout the district have a number special events during the next two weeks.
Mark Brett/Western News
ROOKIE LIBERALS SCORE MAJOR ROLES ister of energy and mines is tasked with the core review of the provincial government, similar to the one conducted in Penticton in 2009-10. This will be the first work in core review in a decade at the provincial government level, according to Clark. Ashton, who has also been named to the Treasury Board, is expected to use his experience to help Bennett identify savings and efficiencies and make recommendations to cabinet on how to improve B.C.’s regulatory reform and red tape reduction. Though he expects it to be substantially different from the core service reviews conducted under his watch at the City of Penticton and the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, Ashton expects those, along with his reputation for fiscal responsibility, are what got him singled out for the job. “The premier has mentioned that this overall look at the government is very important and I am honoured to be given the opportunity and the chance,” said Ashton. “I just want to thank the premier and her staff for giving me the opportunity. I am looking
Steve Kidd
Western News Staff
Though they were just elected to their first terms in provincial politics on May 14, two South Okanagan MLAs have been appointed to significant positions in B.C.’s Liberal government. However, the Okanagan will have only one cabinet minister, with Kelowna-Mission MLA Steve Thomson returning as Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. Previously, Norm Letnick and Ben Stewart also held cabinet posts. Penticton MLA Dan Ashton will be getting a chance right away to bring his experience as mayor of Penticton to bear in provincial politics as parliamentary secretary to the minister responsible for core review. Ashton will be reporting to Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett, the minister responsible for the newly created core review portfolio. “Bill will not be shy about asking the hard questions,” said Clark, as she introduced Bennett, who along with being named min-
forward to working with Minister Bennett, especially on the overall service and core service review.” Right now, Ashton said he is just trying to get his feet under him as a rookie MLA, sworn in Tuesday. He expects to be going “full throttle” on the project soon. “I am sure looking forward to it. There are a lot of issues the province faces,” said Ashton. “Along with that fiscal responsibility and financial accountability, I have always had a strong social conscience. I think that is one of the attributes that I bring to the table.” Boundary-Similkameen MLA and Oliver councillor Linda Larson is the parliamentary secretary to the minister of health for seniors, reporting to new Minister of Health Terry Lake. Larson will bring her own experience on provincial organizations and connections throughout B.C. to bear as she works with seniors throughout the province to make sure government services are able to be accessed by seniors and makes recommendations to the minister on how to keep improving seniors’ health-care services.
In all, Clark named 19 ministers to her new cabinet Monday morning, which she said was smaller than many past cabinets. They will be focused on following through on issues like balancing the budget and bringing B.C.’s natural gas resources to market. “In the next four years there will be ups and downs, but there will never come a day when I doubt the spirit of the people of B.C.,” she said. Clark promised a mix of experience and fresh vision in her cabinet and kept many high-profile ministers in key positions. Mike de Jong stays on as minister of finance and government house leader, tasked with reintroducing and passing the 2013 budget, which Clark promised would be the first of four balanced budgets. Rich Coleman was named deputy premier as well as minister for housing, while Suzanne Anton replaces Shirley Bond as the minister of justice and attorney general. Bond will take over as the minister of jobs, tourism and skills training and minister responsible for labour.
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