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Dosanjh, Outspoken Critic Of British Columbia's Premier, Keeps His Job In New Cabinet

Arthur J Pais

When the embattled premier of British Columbia announced a new cabinet on July 21, many of his critics were waiting to see who among his harshest critics would be dropped.

Glen Clark, the leader of the New Democratic Party, has, during the last six months, been criticized for his alleged links with corrupt politicians and for ignoring the working class.

Among his most severe critic is Ujjal Dosanjh, the attorney general. Dosanjh's name had cropped up many times four months ago when it looked like Clark would have to step down following a corruption scandal, and several NDP members suggested the attorney general should be the interim premier. That would have been the first time an Indian Canadian politician was made the premier in Canada.

In the cabinet reshuffle, Clark sacked his environment minister Cathy McGregor, who has been openly critical of him but Dosanjh, who also looks after human rights and immigration departments, retained his position.

Another Indian-Canadian cabinet minister, Harry Lali, who has maintained a low profile in the discussions about Clark's future, is retained as transportation and highways minister. Moe Sihota, who was the public services minister in the previous cabinet and is an enthusiastic supporter of Clark, is entrusted with the newly created social development and economic security ministry.

A week ago, Dosanjh had asked Clark to step down because he felt the premier was not able to function effectively due to a number of controversies swirling him. Some of Clark's supporters called Dosanjh's public demand for the resignation treasonous and urged the premier to drop him.

But several insiders believe that Clark dare not exclude Dosanjh from his cabinet. For, the attorney general is one of the high profile minority politicians not only in British Columbia but the entire Canada. Dosanjh has repeatedly -- and with some success -- sought more funds to fight street crimes, Internet child pornography, and stalking

"He is one of the few politicians in Canada who can survive and flourish even when his party is in a fix," says a colleague, who did not want his name quoted. "Ujjal is not only enormously popular among Indian Canadians -- and mind you nearly 10 per cent of the British Columbian population is from the Indian subcontinent -- but among parents and other citizens who want our streets to be safer and our environment crime free."

Four months ago, when a high school student, Poonam Randhwa, was killed allegedly by a 21-year-old man who had been stalking her for two years and could not take her rejection, Dosanjh, who attended the funeral rites, made an announcement that he will ask schools and colleges across the province to introduce awareness programs about stalkers.

"He knows what exactly the minority communities feel, and he is never oblivious to the concern of the mainstream British Columbians," says Rizwan Manji, a young actor. "And when he seeks more money for the rehabilitation of substance abusers, when he talks about longer jail sentences for those who commit crimes against children and women, he is appealing to all mainstream and ethnic groups. These are some of the issues that make him a very durable politician."

"People should think twenty or thirty times from excluding such a man from the cabinet," Manji adds.

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