Five things you should know about Nanaimo’s new NDP MLA
Sheila Malcolmson won the Nanaimo byelection on Wednesday, helping the B.C. NDP hold onto their power in the legislature.
She earned nearly half of the votes and beat Liberal challenger Tony Harris by 1,900 votes. However, the margin of victory was much tighter than in the 2017 provincial election, when former NDP MLA Leonard Krog defeated Liberal Paris Gaudet by more than 3,800 votes.
Here are five things to know about the former NDP MP for Nanaimo-Ladysmith:
1 Personal life
Malcolmson, 52, lives on Gabriola Island with her partner Howard, a fisheries biologist and climate change researcher. She has local roots and a deep history in the party — her grandfather, John Osler, was a Co-operative Commonwealth Federation candidate three times. The CCF was the social-democratic party that preceded the NDP.
2 Before politics
Malcolmson has a degree in environmental and resource studies. Before her entry into the political arena, Malcolmson was an energy policy analyst for non-governmental organizations. She also worked in small business and tourism on Vancouver Island.
3 Chair of Islands Trust council
Starting in 2002, she was elected to the Islands Trust for four consecutive terms, with her interest focused on the environment. In 2008, she was elected to chair the Islands Trust Council and worked with all levels of government for fair ferry service, marine safety and oil spill prevention. She signed a government-to-government protocol between the Snuneymuxw First Nation and the Islands Trust — establishing a relationship of respect and co-operation in planning, land use management and heritage conservation.
4 Former MP
In 2015, Malcolmson was elected as the federal member of Parliament for Nanaimo-Ladysmith. As MP, Malcolmson spoke in the House of Commons about issues of vessel abandonment and oil spills, women’s rights and B.C.’s overdose crisis. The NDP’s recruitment of the popular local MP to run provincially was considered by many as a move that locked up the riding for New Democrats.
5 Maiden speech in parliament
in her maiden speech before the House of Commons, Malcolmson spoke about the importance of reconciliation and the rights of Indigenous Peoples. She addressed issues of transit and infrastructure funding in Nanaimo, support for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, climate change and health care.