B.C. Premier David Eby has rearranged his cabinet after Finance Minister Brenda Bailey announced a cancer diagnosis.
Health Minister Josie Osborne will take over the finance portfolio, while Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon will step into the Health Ministry.
Bailey, who announced that she has an early-stage, treatable cancer and would be returning to work in the fall, will be replacing Kahlon in the jobs portfolio.
Eby said Friday that Bailey will be taking six weeks for treatment but that she wants to keep working and will be back in October.
“The good news is it’s caught early, it’s treatable, and her doctor said the prognosis is very good,” he said.
The premier said budget preparations are already underway with deadlines and milestones to be set out in September, which is why the timeline didn’t work for Bailey.
“This is a very heavy workload, obviously, to carry while you are also going through cancer treatment. Nobody should have to do that. And so Brenda will be going back to a file that she knows and can excel at with work she can pick up immediately once she’s back.”
Bailey said it’s an “elegant solution.”
“I get to be back on a file that I’m deeply committed to and know very well, and I don’t slow down the budget process in the meantime, so I thank the premier for his flexibility and my colleagues for stepping in when needed.”
Energy Minister Adrian Dix will fill in for Bailey in the Jobs and Economic Growth Ministry in the weeks that she undergoes her cancer treatment.
Bailey delivered the latest fiscal update on Monday, revealing B.C.’s deficit was $7.7 billion for fiscal year 2025-2026, which was $3.3 billion below the previous estimate.
