Federal cabinet potential high in B.C.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper faces some tough choices in filling federal cabinet seats in B.C.
He has 21 MPs from the province, but only two members who have been ministers from B.C. are back in parliament — James Moore, of Port Moody-Westwood, and John Duncan, of Vancouver Island North.
Cabinet veteran Gary Lunn went down to defeat against the Green Party's Elizabeth May, while Stockwell Day, Chuck Strahl, and Jay Hill have all retired.
Harper may be compelled to give a nod to some specific B.C. members, according to political analyst Alise Mills.
"The seats that they were able to hold onto and fight very, very hard in, for example — like John Duncan's — they're going to have to reward those ridings," said Mills.
Mills said Kerry-Lynne Findlay in Delta-Richmond East is a new member who may have star qualities.
"She's a lawyer, young family. I think she's got some star power there."
Mills also names Russ Hiebert in South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale, David Wilks in Kootenay Columbia and Dan Albas in Okanagan-Coquihalla and, perhaps, Alice Wong in Richmond.
Put them together, Mills said, and you'd a have cabinet with fresh faces and wide representation from B.C.
