| The Honourable Mary Polak MLA |
|
|---|---|
| MLA for Langley | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 2009 |
|
| Preceded by | Lynn Stephens |
| Minister of Healthy Living and Sport of British Columbia | |
| In office June 23, 2008 – June 10, 2009 |
|
| Premier | Gordon Campbell |
| Succeeded by | Ida Chong |
| Minister of Children and Family Development and Minister Responsible for Child Care of British Columbia | |
| In office June 10, 2009 – March 14, 2011 |
|
| Premier | Gordon Campbell |
| Preceded by | Tom Christensen |
| Succeeded by | Mary McNeil |
| Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation of British Columbia | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office March 14, 2011 |
|
| Premier | Christy Clark |
| Preceded by | Barry Penner |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | BC Liberal |
Mary Polak is a Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (MLA) for the riding of Langley and currently serves as Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation. She previously served as Minister of Children and Families, Minister of Healthy Living and Sport and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health for the Conversation on Health and the former chair of the Surrey School Board in Surrey, British Columbia.
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Polak was recruited to run as a member of the Surrey Electors Team by school trustee Heather Stilwell. As chair of the Surrey School Board, she voted down a request, along with the majority of the school board, to add three specific books dealing with same sex families as recommended learning resources for the kindergarten and grade one curriculum. These books were requested by a kindergarten teacher to reflect the realities of today's families and to teach his pupils about diversity and tolerance. The BC Government also declined to approve the same books.
A legal battle to overturn the decision to ban the three books went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, where the school board's decision was returned to the board.[1] The judgment cited the need for families headed by same-sex couples to be respected. Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin dismissed the school board's argument that children would be confused or misled by classroom information about same-sex parents.[2] The Surrey School Board then approved a different set of books depicting same sex families. In doing so, Surrey became the first school district in BC to approve books depicting same sex families as recommended learning resources for primary grades, including kindergarten.
As school board chair, Polak made Surrey the first school district in B.C. to publish school-by-school results for both elementary and secondary schools. She also served as Chair of the Council of British Columbia School Districts and on the Board of Directors of the B.C. School Trustees Association.
She tried unsuccessfully to gain a seat in the Legislature as a candidate for the BC Liberal Party, but lost the 2004 Surrey-Panorama Ridge by-election to Jagrup Brar, the New Democratic Party of British Columbia candidate. This was a substantial defeat for the governing Liberals.
Polak won a seat in the 2005 provincial election in the riding of Langley by over 52%, 18 points ahead of her next closest competitor. As an MLA for Langley she served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health for the Conversation on Health and later as the Minister of Healthy Living and Sport.
Polak ran successfully again in the 2009 Provincial election earning more than 56% at the polls and increased her margin over her nearest opponent to more than 20 points.[3]
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