| Jenny Kwan | |
|---|---|
| MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1996 |
|
| Preceded by | Mike Harcourt |
| Minister of Municipal Affairs of British Columbia |
|
| In office February 18, 1998 – July 21, 1999 |
|
| Premier | Glen Clark |
| Preceded by | Michael Farnworth |
| Succeeded by | Jim Doyle |
| Minister of Women's Equality of British Columbia |
|
| In office July 21, 1999 – February 24, 2000 |
|
| Premier | Glen Clark, Dan Miller |
| Preceded by | Penny Priddy |
| Succeeded by | Evelyn Gillespie |
| Minister of Community Development, Cooperatives and Volunteers of British Columbia |
|
| In office February 29, 2000 – June 5, 2001 |
|
| Premier | Ujjal Dosanjh |
| Preceded by | Jan Pullinger |
| Succeeded by | George Abbott |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | New Democrat |
| Website | jennykwan.ca |
Jenny Wai Ching Kwan (Chinese: 關慧貞) is a Hong Kong-born Canadian politician. She is currently a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of British Columbia, and a senior member of the provincial caucus of the New Democratic Party.
Contents |
Kwan immigrated to Canada at age 9 from Hong Kong. She speaks both English and Cantonese. She graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and was a community legal advocate in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside before entering politics. Jenny currently lives in East Vancouver, with her husband, daughter, son and stepson.[1]
Between the 2001 and 2005 elections, Kwan was invited by director Ling Chiu to play the part of eldest sister in the 2004 short film A Fortune In Frozen Dim Sum.
In 1993, Kwan became the youngest-ever member of Vancouver City Council. She was the sole representative of the civic party known as COPE throughout her term on council.[1]
In 1996, Kwan entered provincial politics deciding to run as the NDP candidate for the electoral district of Vancouver-Mount Pleasant, in East Vancouver. She successfully won her seat.
In her first legislative term, Kwan she served in several positions, including as the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Minister of Women's Equality and Minister of Community Development, Cooperatives and Volunteers.
In 2001, Kwan, along with Joy MacPhail, was one of only two NDP MLAs to survive the party's electoral defeat.[2][3] She was also re-elected in 2005 and again on May 12, 2009,[1] where she received 11,196 votes or 64% of the vote.[4]
On December 1, Kwan released a statement to the media criticizing NDP party leader Carole James, and calling for an immediate leadership convention.[3][5][6] In response to Kwan's statement, James called an emergency caucus session to address opposition to her continued leadership.[7][8] Before the caucus meeting was held, however, James announced her resignation as party leader.[9][10]
Kwan claims she has no plans, herself, to run for the leadership of the party.[11]
|
||||||||||||||