Eby set to shuffle cabinet after finance minister’s cancer diagnosis

PENTICTON — Premier David Eby is expected to announce a cabinet shuffle Friday after Finance Minister Brenda Bailey disclosed she has been diagnosed with early-stage, treatable cancer and will step back temporarily for treatment..Bailey said in a social media post Thursday that the diagnosis came a few weeks ago and she has been given a good prognosis for full recovery. She plans to receive treatment later this summer and anticipates returning to work in time for the fall legislative session.“I have worked with Premier Eby to find the best path forward to get through treatment and continue the government’s important work,” Bailey wrote. She and Eby said they would provide more information Friday.Eby called Bailey a “valued colleague” and an “exceptional” cabinet minister, adding that he was wishing her the very best in her recovery.Bailey has held the finance portfolio since November 2024, when Eby formed his post-election cabinet. She previously served as minister of jobs, economic development and innovation. On Monday she delivered a fiscal update showing the province’s deficit for 2025-26 ended $3.3 billion below earlier projections due to higher revenues and lower capital spending, along with a one-time settlement between the provincial government and big tobacco..The anticipated shuffle comes as the NDP government manages a slim majority in the legislature and continues to face pressure on multiple files, including public finances, housing, wildfires and economic challenges linked to US trade policy.Cabinet changes tied to health issues are not new for the Eby government. Former children and family development minister Grace Lore stepped aside in late 2024 after a colorectal cancer diagnosis, and Vancouver-Strathcona MLA Joan Phillip has also dealt with health challenges this year.Eby himself became NDP leader and premier in 2022 after John Horgan stepped aside amid his own health challenges.As of early Friday morning, the government had not yet released details of any new assignments or acting arrangements for the finance portfolio. Speculation is already circulating among political observers about possible moves, with the rumour mill pointing to Health Minister Josie Osborne shifting into finance and Jobs and Economic Growth Minister Ravi Kahlon taking over the health portfolio..Reporters and political watchers were monitoring for an official announcement that could include a temporary or permanent replacement for Bailey while she undergoes treatment.Bailey represents Vancouver-South Granville. She was first elected in 2020 and re-elected in 2024.

Eby set to shuffle cabinet after finance minister’s cancer diagnosis

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