Bob Mackin
The first big personnel change under new NDP health minister Josie Osborne happened the same day the Legislature ended a nine-month hiatus on Feb. 18.
Lynn Stevenson suddenly replaced Fraser Health Authority CEO Victoria Lee on Feb. 18 in what could be an expensive transaction.
Will the switch improve wait times to see a doctor?
Fraser Health CEO Dr. Victoria Lee (BC Gov)
Former chief medical officer Lee succeeded the retiring Michael Marchbank in 2018. Lee’s total compensation was $453,131 last year. If her contract was structured like Marchbank’s, then she will be in line for 18 months severance. That would be at least $572,431.50 (Lee’s base was $381,621 last year).
Ten-hour wait times at hospital emergency rooms between Surrey and Abbotsford became the norm in recent months under Lee. However, Stevenson’s first weekend on the job included two overnight closures at Delta Hospital’s emergency department.
Ten-year wait over
Former BC Liberal Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation minister George Abbott finally became the new B.C. Treaty Commissioner on Feb. 19.
Abbott, an MLA for 17 years, was originally hired in 2015, but the Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation minister changed his mind. His name? John Rustad, now leader of the Conservative opposition.
Abbott will juggle his two-year term as treaty commissioner with his duties as chair of Technical Safety BC.
Auditor General Carol Bellringer
NDP brings back ex-Auditor General
Carol Bellringer’s tenure as Auditor General ended with a thud in September 2019.
Despite three years left on her term, Bellringer announced resignation in the wake of her instantly discredited report into the corruption scandal at the Legislature.
Bellringer found no evidence of fraud after admitting she did not conduct the much-anticipated forensic audit.
More than a year later, ex-clerk Craig James was charged with fraud and breach of trust. A B.C. Supreme Court judge convicted him of both in 2022.
On Feb. 19, the NDP government named Bellringer the new B.C. Ferries Deputy Commissioner, at $600 a day.
A patronage probe that didn’t probe patronage
Sheila Dodds became the acting auditor general when Michael Pickup retired halfway through his eight-year term last year.
Dodds issued her first report on Feb. 25, a look at how the NDP government populates 230 public sector boards, including Crown corporations, universities, regulators and health authorities.
The Crown Agencies and Board Resourcing Office (CABRO) acted as the clearinghouse for 956 appointees in 2023. The Office of the Auditor General reviewed 51 appointees (25 new and 26 incumbents) to 16 boards.
Dodds gave CABRO a good report card. Except, for a need to tighten up its conflict of interest policy and improve diversity assessments, because they were “limited and had gaps.”
Chief Justice Leonard Marchand (left), Premier David Eby and Lt. Gov. Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia. (BC Gov/Flickr)
However, there was a significant limit: “We did not audit the roles of public sector boards or ministries in the appointment process,” the report said.
Dodds admitted that her staff did not investigate how politicians pick board members. Instead, Dodds said they looked at how CABRO’s process provides “decisionmakers with the best information to support the decisions that they’re making.”
Two of the biggest boards are headed by NDP elites: BC Hydro’s chair is ex-Premier Glen Clark and Fraser Health’s chair is ex-B.C. Federation of Labour boss Jim Sinclair.
CABRO’s executive director is longtime NDP insider Vanessa Geary.
Top judge stepped in
The Chief Justice of B.C.’s Court of Appeal handled some of the new Lieutenant-Governor’s duties for nearly three weeks.
After the outgoing Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin signed her last cabinet order on Jan. 29, Leonard Marchand acted in the role of administrator until Jan. 30 sworn-in Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia signed her first order in council.
Number 69 of 2025, on Feb. 19, made Victoria Coun. Jeremy Caradonna a member of the Victoria Regional Transit Commission for $150 per meeting.
In 2018, a quicker transition. Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon signed her last on April 23, 2018, renaming Northwest Community College to Coast Mountain Community College. Two days later, Austin signed her first, a repeal of portions of legislation regulating greenhouse gas emissions and pest management.
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