Cabinet Ministers are the Members of the Legislative Assembly in charge of running government ministries. The Lieutenant Governor appoints MLAs to Cabinet on the recommendation of the Premier. The Premier's recommendation is based on the MLA’s ability and expertise, but can also be influenced by other considerations - such as geography, gender, and ethnicity - to ensure that British Columbians are effectively represented by the Cabinet.
When the Premier and Cabinet ministers are acting in a formal legal capacity to use their executive powers, they are known as the Executive Council. In fact, the "Cabinet" is an informal body with no legal or constitutional basis, but the "Executive Council" is the legal agency through which ministers collectively, as the Lieutenant Governor in Council, exercise powers.
Cabinet ministers are responsible to the Legislative Assembly, which means they are answerable to all other MLAs for their actions and plans. This accountability provision is known as responsible government.
A Cabinet minister remains in office solely at the pleasure of the Premier. The resignation of the Premier will also dissolve the Cabinet.
