Executive Council of British Columbia

Prior to their union in 1866, the Executive Councils of the separate crown colonies of British Columbia and Vancouver Island were largely appointed by the Governor and included military and judicial officials, their role that of the Governor's cabinet, similar to the present except that the Governor took part in cabinet meetings and political decisions, which a lieutenant governor does not. The colonial Legislative Assemblies were subordinate to the governor and the Council and served more as a sounding-board than a legislative body.

As at the federal level, the most important Cabinet post after that of the leader is Minister of Finance, although notably during the regimes of Premiers W.A.C. Bennett and Dave Barrett that position was conjoint with that of the premier. Today the next most powerful positions are the Forestry and Health portfolios which have huge budgets and are of central political importance. Other powerful portfolios include Education, Health, and Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.

The second ministry of John Horgan was sworn in by Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin on November 26, 2020. The current Cabinet consists of members of the Legislative Assembly representing the province's governing party, the British Columbia New Democratic Party. Composition current as of November 2020.[1]