A local lawyer and mother of two has been named as the BC Liberal Party's candidate for Surrey-Panorama in next spring's provincial election.
Puneet Sandhar's candidacy was announced on Wednesday (Oct. 5) at a event attended by Premier Christy Clark and local BC Liberal MLAs Stephanie Cadieux, Peter Fassbender and Marvin Hunt.
The political rookie joins a team of 52 BC Liberal candidates already selected across the province, with 75 per cent of their 2017 candidates expected to be nominated by its biennial convention Nov. 4-6 in Vancouver.
“It’s an honour to be named the candidate for Surrey-Panorama in the upcoming provincial election,” said Sandhar. “Surrey is a growing, vibrant city that has given so much to me and my family. Now it’s my time to give back by running to be a strong voice for our community in the legislature, where I will work tirelessly to deliver on our priorities and needs.”
Hunt is the riding's current MLA but the former Surrey city councillor announced last month he would instead be running in in the newly redrawn riding of Surrey-Cloverdale at the premier's request. Cadieux, Surrey-Cloverdale's current representative in Victoria and the minister of children and family development, will instead run in the newly created riding of Surrey South. Hunt won the Surrey-Panorama riding with 54 per cent of votes in the 2013 provincial election and received 4,358 more votes than NDP runner-up Amrik Mahil. Neither of the NDP or BC Green Party candidates for the riding in the next election have yet been declared.
Sandhar immigrated to Canada from India in 2002 and began her career with Sanghera Sandhar Law Group in Surrey after being called to the BC Bar in 2006. She holds degrees from Guru Nanak Dev University in India. Sandhar serves as a member of various organizations, including the Board of Legal Services Society British Columbia, Board of Variance with the City of Surrey, Advisory Board of Resource Works, and Board of Punjab Digital Library. She is also director of the South Asian Business Association of B.C and sits on the Mayor’s Business Advisory Committee for the City of Surrey.
“Puneet is a respected leader in both her career and community, devoting her time and talents to making a real difference in people’s lives,” said Premier Clark. “We have a plan to put British Columbians first that’s working – and it’s qualified candidates like Puneet who believe in this plan, and who will work hard to make sure that we can continue to look after the people we love.”
British Columbians will head to the polls again May 9, 2017.