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Adrian DixJohn Lehmann/The Globe and Mail

Adrian Dix, the rookie leader of the B.C. New Democrats, has shifted his two key leadership rivals into new roles as part of his first shadow cabinet.

Mike Farnworth, who made his mark tackling the B.C. Liberal government on crime as a critic for public safety and the solicitor-general, will now be trying to bring similar vigilance to health and is out of his role as house leader.

The new house leader is John Horgan, who retains a responsibility for energy, mines and petroleum resources that was one of his calling cards in the leadership race.

And there is no sign of former leader Carole James as a critic though Mr. Dix has found responsibilities for all of the Baker's Dozen of dissident MLAs, who were at odds with Ms. James.

Mr. Dix explained all Tuesday, after announcing his lineup.

He said Mr. Farnworth was shifted because he is a former health minister, and Mr. Dix hopes Mr. Farnworth can do in health what he did on crime, which Mr. Dix considers a key issue in B.C.

"I like to think that health was done well up to now," Mr. Dix, a former health critic, wryly observed.

Mr. Dix said he thought it too much of a burden for Mr. Farnworth to handle both health and his role as house leader so gave that job to Mr. Horgan, whom he deemed qualified given his five-year stint on the NDP's question-period committee.

"In the house, Mike will be on my left and John will be on my right," said Mr. Dix.

Ms. James has no place in the ranks of critics because she said Tuesday she did not want one.

In an interview, she said Mr. Dix encouraged her to take a critic's responsibility but she turned him down because she wanted to focus on her Victoria-Beacon Hill riding. which she deems has been underserviced by her commitments as leader.

She also said she did not want to be hanging over Mr. Dix as he settles in as party leader, replacing her.

"Past leaders need to give clearance to the new leader," she said, adding she would offer whatever support Mr. Dix required.

She said, however, she would like a critic's role at some point, but not in the current session of the legislature, which begins Wednesday and continues into June.

Ms. James said she would be in the legislature on Monday, holding her usual spot in the front benches.

Mr. Dix found roles for all of the Baker's Dozen of MLAs who were most sharply at odds with Ms. James, effectively leading to her resignation late last year.

He said that, in his view, the divisions no longer exist in his caucus. "I don't make any distinctions between caucus members. All the caucus members are members of the team."

Jenny Kwan, who was most pointed in a written critique of Ms. James's leadership, is jobs, economic-development and trade critic, echoing her former small business, technology and economic-development role.

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