On Oct. 19, Randene Neill won the riding of Powell River-Sunshine Coast in the provincial election and was officially sworn in as this constituency’s legislative representative, Nov. 13.
Just a week later, on Nov. 18, Neill was appointed by premier David Eby to his cabinet as Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship (WLRS).
On Nov. 26, during a phone interview with Coast Reporter from her office in Victoria, Neill seemed to be taking it all in stride.
Neill said the onboarding/training process has been intense, because she’s holding two separate positions, one as the legislative representative for her riding and the second as a new minister.
“My MLA onboarding was last week with all the MLAs sitting in the house and that was really interesting,” said Neill. “And then as soon as I was sworn in as minister, the ministerial briefings began and it is a lot. It's comprehensive. Water, Land and Resource stewardship is a big portfolio and an incredibly important portfolio…It’s a steep learning curve.”
Neill noted, not only is WLRS an important portfolio, it’s a portfolio that includes many of the issues people on the Sunshine Coast care about. She adds, the fact she was appointed to that ministry indicates Premier Eby and members of the government were paying attention to what people on the Coast are concerned about.
“[Premier Eby] appointed me to a ministry that he believes we can work hard on and make some positive changes in,” said Neill. “So, I am incredibly looking forward to it, not just the ministry, but also serving all of the constituents on the Sunshine Coast, which is also my number one job."
As a resident of the Coast, Neill is well aware of just how important the ferry system is to the community, so when BC Ferries announced on Nov. 25, that it was shutting down all 13 ferry advisory committees, she scheduled a meeting with some members. The committees are being shut down at the end of April, to be replaced by a new engagement system that has not yet been designed.
“The people on the Sunshine Coast have a lot of issues that are really important to them, and ferries is one of those. So, we need to make sure that we work hard to address that and get the best possible outcome for all of us who are dependent on ferries,” said Neill, who met with the members after Coast Reporter’s interview.
This past summer was the first time in a decade, the Sunshine Coast Regional District didn’t have to move to Stage 3 water restrictions. Neill said she understands just how important water, or the lack there of, is to Coast residents.
“That's all part of the ministry and all part of the briefings that I want to do. It's incredibly important for me to be up to speed and understand these files. So, when I do sit down with people, either on the Sunshine Coast or anywhere in the province, that I have a really deep understanding of what their needs or concerns are,” said Neill. “So, I need to get to that level first and then I'll be able to have these conversations.”
As for the ongoing negotiations around the dock management plan, Neill said not much has changed since she recently spoke to the Peak. At the time, Neill said there is still a lot to do, “and understanding that we have to work together to further reconciliation and protect our environment. We can only succeed if we do it together.”
The shíshálh swiya dock management plan was developed to support responsible and appropriate dock development in the shíshálh swiya, according to a provincial media release.
The plan defines requirements for dock design and construction, and further identifies three zones where additional requirements or restrictions apply, the release stated. The plan aims to minimize impacts to marine resources, protect archaeological resources, address impacts of dock development and advance collaborative management between the shíshálh Nation in Sechelt and the province. There are areas in qathet region that are affected by the dock management plan.
Neill said the dock management advisory group has done a fantastic job in the Sunshine Coast region, working with dock owners, community groups and the waterfront protection coalition to come up with a set of guidelines that have now been approved and will be carried out.
“At this point, dock owners are just still working on the self-registration process of their docks,” Neill told Coast Reporter. “I've spoken to a few dock owners who had some questions and concerns about that process, so I look forward to chatting with them and continue working forward. I think this is actually a really amazing success story. We still have to walk people through the process and make sure that we get that understanding and trust. And I think we're going to get there, and then we can move on to the next steps.”
Neill notes she’s keeping the constituency office in Powell River, but is closing the Davis Bay location and, instead, is opening a new office in Sechelt, scheduled to open in January.
“With some exceptions, my constituency work is usually going to always be Friday, Saturdays and Sundays, so I'll always be home on the Coast for at least those three days a week, if not more,” said Neill. “The work that we have to do on the Sunshine Coast, for the people of the Sunshine Coast is incredibly important to me and I want to make sure that I am held accountable and that I work my very hardest for each and every person on the Coast every day.”
–– with files from Paul Galinski
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