AT the very least, BC Liberal Ellis Ross continues the line of Skeena MLAs who, when their party was in power, held a cabinet posting.
That line begins with Social Credit MLA Dave Parker, then to New Democrat Helmut Giesbrecht and then to BC Liberal Roger Harris.
But at the most, Mr. Ross will go down in BC legislative history as being one of the shortest-serving cabinet ministers when his minority government is defeated.
Although that leaves Skeena once again on the outside looking in, Mr. Ross’s opposition status may work in the riding’s favour.
In a certain way, freed of governmental responsibility and the tightly-controlled behaviour that comes with it, Mr. Ross can focus exclusively, as he promised during the campaign, on Skeena.
He’s more or less already listed some priorities - in the absence for now of any LNG project at Kitimat, fleshing out the prospects there of an export-import port, helping along where possible further activity at the City of Terrace/Kitselas First Nation Skeena Industrial Development Park and pursuing the construction of a new Mills Memorial Hospital.
It’s the latter where Mr. Ross can really shine. There’s a wealth of issues connected to the construction of the replacement, estimated to cost $360 million and change.
As an opposition MLA, Mr. Ross can dig in and work decisively to ensure the project meets local needs.