The former Conservative MP for the riding of Vancouver-South says she is seriously considering a run in the federal election this fall to win back her seat from Liberal MP Harjit Sajjan.
Wai Young, who served as MP from 2011 to 2015, said she has discussed her possible candidacy with the party but hasn鈥檛 set a date when she will make a decision to run or sit out this year鈥檚 campaign.
Wai Young campaigned to become mayor of 麻豆传媒映画in 2018 and is now considering a run with the Conservatives in this fall鈥檚 federal election. Photo by Dan Toulgoet
鈥淧eople have approached me all over鈥攐n the street, in a restaurant鈥攖o ask me if I鈥檓 running again and it鈥檚 something I鈥檓 considering very seriously,鈥� said Young, who lives in the riding.
Young said she hadn鈥檛 been notified whether the party had set a nomination date or told if anyone else has shown an interest in representing the Conservatives in the riding.
Though she has been out of federal politics since she lost to Sajjan in 2015, Young raised her profile last year in her聽聽of Vancouver.
She ran under the Coalition 麻豆传媒映画banner and finished fourth with 11,872 votes in the 19-person race. Former Burnaby NDP MP Kennedy Stewart, whom Young referred to as 鈥渟ocialist鈥� and 鈥渞adical鈥� during the campaign, won the election with 49,705 votes.
Some of the main planks of Young鈥檚 campaign were to lower taxes, scrap bike lanes outside 麻豆传媒映画General Hospital and on the Cambie Bridge, offer free parking on Sundays and reduce the amount of garbage and syringes on city streets.
Young鈥檚 interest in winning back her federal seat comes after Conservative leader Andrew Scheer was聽聽to speak to the Greater 麻豆传媒映画Board of Trade.
Scheer told reporters after his speech that he was 鈥渧ery confident鈥� the party will regain the seats lost in 2015. Young鈥檚 victory in 2011 over Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh marked the first time since 1993 that the riding was no longer held by a Liberal.
If Young decides to run, she will face a high-profile candidate in Sajjan, a former 麻豆传媒映画police officer and Canadian soldier who serves as minister of defence.
Sajjan participated in last weekend鈥檚 Vaisakhi parade in the riding and was joined by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Scheer also attended the event.
The prime minister has made regular trips to B.C. and Metro 麻豆传媒映画in the last couple of months to join fellow MPs in funding announcements and endorse former broadcaster Tamara Taggart as the Liberal candidate in Vancouver-Kingsway.
Vancouver鈥檚 six ridings have historically gone to the Liberals or NDP, with the NDP represented in Vancouver-Kingsway (Don Davies) and Vancouver-East (Jenny Kwan).
In the 2015 vote, the Liberals won Vancouver-South (Sajjan), Vancouver-Centre (Hedy Fry), Vancouver-Quadra (Joyce Murray) and Vancouver-Granville (Jody Wilson-Raybould).
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has since removed Wilson-Raybould as the Liberal candidate in Vancouver-Granville, a move made in relation to the ongoing SNC-Lavalin affair.
Wilson-Raybould has not said whether she will run as an independent in the riding, or seek to join another party, or quit politics. The Courier has made repeated requests to speak Wilson-Raybould but has not received a response.
The SNC-Lavalin affair has been 鈥渢roubling鈥� and 鈥渃oncerning鈥� for Canadians, Young said in reference to Wilson-Raybould鈥檚 accusations that some of Trudeau鈥檚 staff attempted to politically interfere in the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin.
鈥淚f we don鈥檛 have the rule in Canada and a basic respect for that, then what do we have?鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really interesting that when the story broke in the media, the prime minister said there鈥檚 no story here, it鈥檚 not even true. It鈥檚 been well proven now that everything that Jody Wilson-Raybould has said has been true.鈥�
The federal election is Oct. 21.
with files from Jessica Kerr
