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Speculation about Indians in BC Cabinet

Arthur J Pais

Even as Ujjal Dosanjh is putting together a new Cabinet in British Columbia, there is intense speculation in the Indian Canadian community about how many Indians will be included. The outgoing Cabinet had three, including Dosanjh, who was the attorney general, and Moe Sihota.

It is doubtful that Sihota will be retained. He was an outspoken critic of Dosanjh and vigorously backed Gordon Wilson, who vied for Dosanjh's position, but withdrew the morning of the party leadership contest and threw his weight behind Corky Evans, the only remaining rival to Dosanjh.

Sihota also criticised Dosanjh's supporters for mass enrolment of Sikhs into the New Democratic Party.

Sihota has made it clear that he would like to stay on. He is the first Indian Canadian elected to a provincial assembly. He won his first election in 1986, some five years before Dosanjh was elected.

"Obviously, anybody who's been in Cabinet wants to stay there," he said in an interview. "We'll see what happens. If there's a different role that he wants me to play, I'll play it."

"Dosanjh should have at least three from the Indian Canadian community," said a community leader. "But I feel he is acutely conscious of unwarranted criticism against him. For many people think that but for the Indian community he would not have got elected."

Dosanjh, who leads the New Democratic Party, has inherited a $1.4 billion deficit. His predecessor Glen Clark, who was involved in a number of embarrassing financial scandals, resigned in August. An interim prime minister ruled the province till the election on February 20.

Dosanjh has portrayed himself as a moderate; his predecessor was notorious for ideological quarrels with the federal government.

The new premier will have to choose men and women who share his vision of accommodation and moderation, experts in British Columbia say.

"He's got to try and make it seem that it's not a continuation of the Clark-Miller administration," said Norman Ruff, a University of Victoria political scientist in an interview with BC media. "There's got to be some eye-catching exits and entrances."

Despite new faces being considered for Cabinet posts, insiders say Dosanjh is very keen on retaining Evans.

"Evans lost to Dosanjh in a bitter contest," said one party insider. "Dosanjh surely wants to keep him back and build bridges with his (Dosanjh's) opponents in the party."

Evans is expected to retain his agriculture ministry portfolio; he could also be the fisheries minister.

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