A Richmond realtor and former BC NDP candidate is running for the BC Conservative Party in the new Richmond-Queensborough riding.
A local resident of almost 30 years, Hong-Kong born Kay Hale came second in Richmond-Steveston while flying the BC NDP flag in the 2005 provincial election, garnering 7,334 votes to BC Liberal John Yap’s 13,859.
Prior to becoming a realtor in 2007, Hale was the owner/operator of a management consultancy firm and was briefly in the running for Richmond School Board trustee in 2014, before pulling out for medical reasons, shortly after filing her candidate papers.
“One of the reasons I decided to run for the BC Conservatives has to do with the hardships faced by low-income seniors,” said Hale, who’s also a supporter of local food initiatives and volunteers in the summer, helping to harvest fruit and vegetables from some of the city’s community gardens. She also sits on the board of the Richmond Garden Club.
“The BC Conservatives have an innovative approach to one of the hardships, namely hospital parking fees, which has been a pet peeve of mine in recent years.”
“An MLA must represent local concerns and the general failure of elected politicians to stand up for their constituents is a big reason why voter turnout is so low.”
Of her shift from the BC NDP to the BC Conservatives, Hale said a lot has changed in the last 12 years.
“The economy has changed and my perception of what is important to the people of Richmond has changed,” she told the Richmond News on Thursday.
“The BC Conservatives being centre-right is the ideal spot for tabling the needs of the voters in this area.”
On the Massey Tunnel versus bridge debate, Hale — whose father was a British citizen and her mother of Burmese descent — is advocating for more public input on the decision.
“The concerns raised by Richmond about this project have continually been ignored throughout the consultation and assessment process,” added Hale, who’s fluent in English, Cantonese, Hindi and Punjabi.
According to Corbin Mitchell, president of the party, “The endorsement of a fine candidate with deep family values, private-sector work experience and lots of community involvement is another sign that the B.C. Conservative Party will be competitive in numerous constituencies around the province.”
Hale and her French-Canadian, mechanical engineer husband have two children and four grandchildren.
She will be up against the BC Liberal’s Jas Johal, the BC NDP’s Aman Singh and the BC Green Party’s Michael Wolfe.
First independent steps up
Meanwhile, Dong Pan is running as in independent candidate in the new Richmond North Centre riding.
