Federal politics: Liberals pick secretary of former Premier Christy Clark

Vancouver, B.C.

Virginia Austria Bremner is acclaimed for Vancouver Kingsway

Opinion

Teodoro Alcuitas

Editor, Philippine Canadian news.Com (PCN.Com)

Federal Liberals have acclaimed Virginia Austria Bremner who worked for former Premier Christy Clark during her term as Premier for B.C. and is now Program Coordinator for the World Trade Centre Vancouver.

Bremner will face the NDP’s Don Davies who have held the riding for three terms and is considered a formidable opponent.

“I am running to uplift our community,” she told PCN.Com in an interview by Zoom. She says it is time for the community to have a place in the table and not rely on others to speak for us.

The mother of two grown children, Bremner came to Canada at the age of seven and went to public schools here. She took a course in mental health after high school and years later landed in the Premier’s office to provide administrative support – the first Filipina to work for a provincial premier.

She was clearly in campaign mode in our half-hour interview and looked confident for a first-timer although she had a close look at politics in her years  with Christy Clark.

“I want to bring our voice to the table,” she told PCN.Com. 

“After 14 years, what has he really done for us,” referring to the current member, NDP MP Don Davies.

Criticizing her opponent for allegedly opposing an affordable housing project in the riding, she launched into a spirited and passionate plea for why she is the best person to represent Filipinos in Ottawa.

“It’s not enough to hear politicians tell us what we need. It’s better to have someone who had the lived experience to be at the table,” she asserts.

“It is time for us to take a chance on somebody else and not someone who has been there for a long time promising to do something.”

“It is not enough that politicians emphatize with us. We don’t need permission to bring things to the table,” she adds.

She says she understands affordable middle-class housing, education, job security and health care  are important issues for our kababayans and she commits herself to these if elected.

She credits her husband Hector ( a seasoned politician) who is her No.1 supporter and fan but most of all, she wants to “honour” her late Nanay for giving her the values in life that she treasures.

“My candidacy is in someways for my Nanay.”

1 thought on “Federal politics: Liberals pick secretary of former Premier Christy Clark”

  1. I wish you focus on providing us your specific platforms, policies and advocacies rather than criticizing the other party.

    I have several questions for you to ponder and answer because this We want to understand .

    What are your community engagement in this past months or during the middle of pandemic?

    What did you do to deserve the votes of this riding?

    What is your future economic policy that would ensure that people in the community will benefit? For this is a federal position.

    What specific housing policy do you have in mind. What kind of solutions that will enhance the lives of people in this riding?

    What can you say about the Filipino restaurant business in Collingwood area which until now I guess is on the verge of being replaced by those high rise buildings.

    What is your future healthcare policy that can be shared to the government and to the people.

    What are your STIP, Science and Technology Innovation policy that are on hand right now that will enhance the youth, Asian women and all women to be part of.

    What can you say about the systemic racism that is happening right now. Do you think there is a systemic racism or not?

    What can you contribute to enhance the lives of healthcare employees all over the Country?

    Will you support the PharmaCare Program that should be approved last year because people need this especially those with low income salaries? or Not?

    Do you have any policies that will aspire and enhance the lives of people with neuro developmental disabilities and people with physical disabilities?

    Thank you.

    Jennifer Decena

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