Conservative MP Alice Wong cruised comfortably to her fourth consecutive win in the riding of Richmond Centre Monday night.
Wong garnered 48.9 percent of the vote, beating out her closest contender, Liberal Steven Kou, who finished with 28.4 percent.
Also in the race was NDP candidate Dennis Innis who took 14.7 per cent of the votes; Green candidate, Francoise Raunet with 6.1 per cent; PPC candidate Ivan Pak with 1.4 per cent; and independent Zhang Zhe with 0.5 per cent.
But while the Conservatives took Richmond (Con. Kenny Chiu won Steveston-Richmond East), Wong was clearly disappointed that the party didn’t take the country.
“Tonight is a night of mixed emotions,” said Wong when she had made her way to the podium at her celebration party.
“On one hand I’m thrilled that the people of Richmond Centre have voted, once again, for a Conservative member of parliament and are sending me back to Ottawa for a fourth time to represent your interests in Ottawa.
“But on a national level the Liberal party will still hold the most number of seats -- although no longer a majority.
“This will necessitate that they cobble together a coalition with at least one other party to continue to govern. I want to assure you a Conservative opposition will hold this artificial alliance to the highest level of accountability.”
However, Wong said, this was a night for congratulations and proceed to list all the candidates in Richmond Centre, who, she said, “had the courage to put their beliefs into action and run for public office.”
She also thanked her volunteers, campaign team, as well as her husband.
After the official part of the speech she took a minute to note the youth in the audience.
“I’m looking forward to having more young people joining politics, because it’s so important that we are all working hard so that you will be proud of this great nation we call Canada.”
Voter turnout in Richmond Centre dropped by 12 per cent this federal election over last. It was 46.2 percent as opposed to 58.9 percent in 2015.
Clearly the Conservatives realized they could make gains in Richmond. Leader Andrew Scheer was in the municipality three time throughout the campaign ‑‑ including the evening before polls opened on election day.
During the campaign, Wong said she would prioritize helping vulnerable seniors from threats such as fraud and phone scams. She also vowed to end birth tourism and support a universal tax cut.
Despite climate change being a central election issue this election, it was not a focus of her campaign. She didn’t appear at an all-candidates meeting on the environment or another one on social justice. She did appear, however, at the meeting hosted by the senior’s organization CARP and another hosted by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce.
Her focus was on the “pocket book” issue of lowering taxes to help Canadians “get ahead.” Indeed, the Conservative’s “get ahead” theme song played throughout the evening at the Austria Vancouver Club on Westminster Highway, where the campaign party was held.
Wong was appointed Minister of State for Seniors in 2011 but lost the post when the Liberals gained a majority in the House of Commons in 2015.
Wong immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong in 1980. She holds a PH.D in Instruction and Curriculum from the University of British Columbia and worked as the manager of international programs at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.
Wong was first elected in 2008 and then again in 2011, both times winning with a comfortable margin. However in 2015, she only won with 44.2 per cent of the vote compared to the Liberal candidate Lawrence Woo’s 41.4.
