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BC ELECTION 2017: Will Surrey-Green Timbers remain an NDP stronghold?

Sue Hammell held the riding for every election except one, since its formation in 1991

A majority of Surrey-Green Timbers voters clearly liked their NDP MLA Sue Hammell, who won that riding in every provincial election except one since it was created in 1991.

Last election, she took 58.10 per cent of the popular vote, defeating runner-up Liberal candidate Amrik Tung by 3,414 votes.

Earlier this year, however, Hammell decided to retire from public life, after serving five terms in office, to spend more time with her ill husband John Pollard.

READ ALSO: Surrey MLA Sue Hammell to retire from office

The only candidate to have defeated Hammell is the Liberal’s Brenda Locke, who hopes to take the riding back for her party on May 9 while NDP candidate Rachna Singh aims to defend what’s been long-time NDP turf.

Will Green Party candidate Saira Aujla split the vote? It’ll be an interesting riding to watch. Also running is Kanwaljit Singh Moti, of Your Political Party of BC (YPP) and Vikram Bajwa of the British Columbia Peoples Party.

Locke defeated Hammell in 2001, when the NDP sustained an across-the-board trouncing provincially. She served the riding from 2001 to 2005, when Hammell took it back.

During her time as MLA for Surrey-Green Timbers, Locke served as minister of state for mental health and addiction services. She is the executive director of the Registered Massage Therapists Association of British Columbia, which represents more than 3,000 therapists in B.C.

Singh has worked as a drug and alcohol counsellor and a support workers for victims of domestic violence.

Aujla is a realtor and runs a Canada-wide East Indian television show.

Surrey-Green Timbers, according to available figures, has a population of 58,816, covers 18 square kilometres and average age of its residents is 34.4 years. All told, for 69.37 per cent of the riding’s residents, English is their second language.

tom.zytaruk@thenownewspaper.com



About the Author: Tom Zytaruk

I write unvarnished opinion columns and unbiased news reports for the Surrey Now-Leader.
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