From former mayors making their federal mark to Conservative cabinet ministers conceding defeat, B.C’s political landscape looks quite different in the wake of Monday’s federal election.
Monday night’s results mean some newly-elected B.C. MPs could be part of Justin Trudeau’s new cabinet. Meanwhile, some defeated incumbents can take comfort in the fact that they are due to receive a nice pension.
Among the well-known B.C. politicians who held on to their seats was Liberal Hedy Fry, winning her eighth election by taking the riding of Vancouver Centre.
“I think you have to work hard in every election and you have to work hard between elections,” Fry said. “And as an incumbent and a member of parliament I had to do that. I continued to do that.”
On a disappointing night for the Tories in B.C., former Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts proved to be a bright spot for the Conservatives, winning a tight race in Surrey-White Rock.
Full list of candidates elected in B.C. in the 2015 federal election
While Watts shone brightly for the Conservatives, there were some big losses. Minister of National Revenue Kerry-Lynne Findlay lost her seat in Delta to Liberal candidate Carla Qualtrough.
Perhaps the biggest surprises came in the Fraser Valley, which appears to have flipped from right to left.
Coffee shop owner and Liberal candidate Dan Ruimy took the longtime Conservative riding of Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge.
Certain regions saw relatively little change. Vancouver Island remained a stronghold for the NDP, which managed to hold Elizabeth May and the Green Party to just one seat.
May believes the Greens may have been hurt by anti-Harper sentiment.
“That base, that is our base really, was told they had to do a nobler and better thing and hold their nose and vote for someone they didn’t like as much as their Green candidate and that next time they can vote Green,” May said.
With B.C. part of the red wave that swept across Canada, experts says the province may have a better seat at the federal table.
Pricey pensions
With all those upsets comes talk of money in the form of pensions and severance payments that will be paid to MPs who were either defeated or did not seek re-election.
There are 180 of them and, according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, they’re projected to collect $209 million in pension money over their lifetimes along with $12.8 million in severance payments.
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Some of the notables in this province include retired NDP MP Libby Davies. She’ll be collecting about $3.6 million over the lifetime of her pension.
Conservative John Duncan, who was defeated in Courtenay Alberni, will collect just over $4 million. And Tory James Moore is entitled to almost $4.5 million over the lifetime of his pension.
Possible B.C cabinet ministers
Global BC’s Keith Baldrey says some B.C. MPs could be named to cabinet.
Among the possible B.C. cabinet minister include Stephen Fuhr of Kelowna Lake Country, Joyce Murray of Vancouver Quadra, Jody Wilson-Raybould of Vancouver Granville and Sukh Dhaliwal of Newton-North Delta.
Trudeau has said he plans to name his new cabinet on November 4.
-With files from John Hua and Keith Baldrey
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