Canada Former B.C. finance minister Carole James hired for $1 a year to advise premier

It's as a good a deal as you're going to get in politics.

© Provided by Global News Attorney General David Eby and Premier John Horgan look on as Minister of Finance Carole James delivers the budget speech from the legislative assembly at B.C. Legislature in Victoria, B.C., on Tuesday, February 18, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

Former B.C. finance minister Carole James has been hired to serve as a special advisor to Premier John Horgan for the bargain salary of $1 a year.

James announced last year she would not run again for public office because she had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. But she has agreed to work with Horgan, cabinet and caucus members as needed in their new majority government following the Oct. 24 election.

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© DON CRAIG B . C . Premier John Horgan says phase three of the restart plan likely to being next week. Women and low-income youth have been the hardest hit by the economic fallout from COVID-19, B . C . Finance Minister Carole James said on Wednesday. “It’s too early to be able to calculate the

B . C . Finance Minister Carole James unveiled the province's first-quarter numbers from the new fiscal year Thursday morning. The government faces mounting financial losses because of the pandemic.

"I offered her five bucks for a five-year contract. She said. 'I'll take it a dollar at a time,'" Horgan said.

Video: Leadership Series 2020: Carole James looks back at political legacy

The longtime MLA for Victoria-Beacon Hill is one of the most respected politicians of the last generation in B.C.

She served as Horgan's deputy premier and and as the NDP leader herself rom 2005 to 2011.

I'm lucky that the sage advice of @carolejames won't be far away. She's agreed to continue serving British Columbians for $1 as a Special Advisor, so her experience will continue to guide our work keeping people safe and building a recovery for everyone. pic.twitter.com/2eYbfOKpNo

— John Horgan (@jjhorgan) November 27, 2020

"Carole doesn't just bring competence to her tasks. She brings compassion and an understanding of the challenges that we face in our communities and in our province," Horgan said.

"I'm very grateful that Carole has agreed to stick around for at least a year. As I say, I've got five bucks in my pocket and hopefully we'll be able to keep for more than one year."