Though widely seen as a potential pick for Justin Trudeau’s first cabinet, Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, the new Liberal member of Parliament for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country, did not make the final cut on Wednesday. Her omission was no doubt personally disappointing, but her constituents stand to benefit in the long run.
As a rookie MP, Pamela has enough work in front of her, at least during her initial year or two, juggling the varied interests of a riding that, as its name suggests, spans three quite distinct regions of B.C.’s south coast. Instead of being swallowed whole by assuming the massive responsibilities of overseeing a federal department, Pamela can spend time to focus on our backyard issues.
One of the first on the menu is the Woodfibre LNG proposal near Squamish. The project is opposed by many of her constituents, including the powerful West Vancouver municipal council, which has joined the chorus calling for a tanker ban in Howe Sound. Despite the opposition, the Squamish Nation and B.C. government have both given Woodfibre LNG their conditional approval.
The ball now lands in Ottawa’s court. Pamela is on record saying that the environmental review process, stripped to the bones under the Harper government, has to be overhauled before any single project can be properly evaluated. She has also said that she stands with the communities that are asking for “a voice in the process.” As a back-bencher, she can pursue these priorities. On a broader front, she can also help the riding adjust to the ambitious agenda set by her government.
There will be plenty of opportunities for Pamela to show her stuff and prove herself as top-grade cabinet material. If she is tapped a year or two into her term, she will be ready, having covered her home base and developed her parliamentary chops.
Instead of being seen as a promising newcomer, she can hopefully be seen as a top performer.
Maclean’s has already named her to the heritage portfolio in a hypothetical replacement cabinet, “if by some bizarre calamity Justin Trudeau loses his entire cabinet.”
We don’t expect that to happen, but we do expect big things from Pamela Goldsmith-Jones. And none of that changed after Wednesday’s appointments.
