NDP’s Joan Phillip elected MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant
LONG-SERVING Sooke School District Board Chair and NDP candidate Ravi Parmar was on Saturday elected the MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca. The seat became open when former premier John Horgan retired at the end of March.
At age 28, Parmar will be the youngest MLA in the current BC legislature when he is sworn in.
Parmar becomes the 10th South Asian MLA in B.C., joining Raj Chouhan (Burnaby-Edmonds), Ravi Kahlon (Delta North), Jagrup Brar (Surrey-Fleetwood), Rachna Singh (Surrey-Green Timbers), Harry Bains (Surrey-Newton), Jinny Sims (Surrey-Newton) – all of whom were re-elected in the last provincial election – as well as first-term MLAs Niki Sharma (Vancouver-Hastings) and Aman Singh (Richmond-Queensborough) and Harwinder Sandhu (Vernon-Monashee).
This is the first time in the history of B.C. that there will be 10 South Asian MLAs — all from the NDP. Back in November 2020, there were a record nine South Asian MLAs.
NDP’s Joan Phillip was elected the MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant.
Photo: NDP
Phillip is a respected Indigenous leader who has dedicated her life to fighting for justice, human rights, and the environment. Her work experience includes youth counsellor at Britannia School, education/program director at the Aboriginal Friendship Centre, and lands manager for the Penticton First Nation.
She replaces former minister Melanie Mark.
Preliminary results include almost all of the ballots cast in the by-election, including all mail-in ballots received by the close of advance voting. Final count of the remaining absentee ballots will take place on Wednesday, June 28.
Both ridings are well-known NDP strongholds and these results were expected.
| Electoral District | Candidate’s Ballot Name | Affiliation | Total Valid Votes | % of Popular Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Langford-Juan de Fuca | ||||
| Camille Currie | BC Green Party | 2,386 | 17.62% | |
| Mike Harris | Conservative Party | 2,689 | 19.86% | |
| Elena Lawson | BC United | 1,169 | 8.63% | |
| Ravi Parmar | BC NDP | 7,224 | 53.35% | |
| Tyson Riel Strandlund | Communist Party of BC | 74 | 0.55% | |
| 13,542 | 100% | |||
| Electoral District | Candidate’s Ballot Name | Affiliation | Total Valid Votes | % of Popular Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver-Mount Pleasant | ||||
| Kimball Cariou | Communist Party of BC | 165 | 2.07% | |
| Wendy Hayko | BC Green Party | 909 | 11.41% | |
| Jackie Lee | BC United | 1,097 | 13.77% | |
| Karin Litzcke | Conservative Party | 389 | 4.88% | |
| Joan Phillip | BC NDP | 5,404 | 67.86% | |
| 7,964 | 100% | |||
“I am very happy to congratulate Joan and Ravi on their victories but I am even happier that British Columbians will have these two incredible advocates working for them in the legislature,” said Premier David Eby. “Joan and Ravi will be passionate champions, working every day to take action for the people of Vancouver-Mount Pleasant and Langford-Juan de Fuca.”
“I’m thrilled to follow in the footsteps of my friend and mentor John Horgan and continue the work this government has done for people in Langford-Juan de Fuca — fighting for people and taking action on what matters,” said Parmar. “Together, let’s keep funding record school construction, improving healthcare, and putting more money back in your pockets. We’ve made great progress together, but there’s so much more to do.”
“I am honoured by the support of the people of Vancouver-Mount Pleasant, and grateful for the opportunity to fight for this vibrant community I love,” said Phillip. “I am committed to being a fierce advocate for justice, tackling housing costs, creating supports for mental health and addictions, and helping our healthcare system recover from the pandemic.”
The NDP noted that since its historic majority win in the 2020 provincial election, its 57-MLA caucus has remained its largest ever, and is the most diverse governing caucus in Canadian history.
BORN in Victoria and raised in Langford by parents who immigrated to Canada, Parmar began advocating for his community at a young age. In high school, Ravi mobilized his fellow students to put pressure on the BC Liberal government resulting in the construction of two new high schools to replace the old Belmont Secondary.
Soon after, Parmar was elected as a School Trustee to the Sooke School District — the youngest school trustee in the country. In 2017, he was acclaimed Board Chair. In that role he oversaw the largest expansion of public education in the district’s history with brand new schools, expansions and an unprecedented 2,200 new student paces.
Parmar has also been instrumental in the development of a new post-secondary university in Langford, bringing together four post-secondary institutions allowing for more higher learning opportunities for students.
In addition to his work on the school board, Parmar was a senior advisor to BC’s Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, helping the government build a more sustainable and inclusive economy. He has a BA in Political Science and a minor in Public Administration from the University of Victoria.
