Among the provincial electoral districts considered as bastions of the B.C. NDP, Vancouver-Hastings is one of the most solid.
New Democrats managed to hold on to Vancouver-Hastings when the B.C. NDP was nearly routed in 2001, one of only two ridings they won the election that year.
This hasn’t deterred a young candidate from entering the ring in Vancouver-Hastings for the B.C. Liberal Party.
Jane Spitz is running with the governing B.C. Liberals of Premier Christy Clark in the May 9, 2017, provincial election.
Spitz was acclaimed as the B.C. Liberal Party’s candidate on March 31.
According to the party’s website, Spitz is a UBC student leader and sustainability advocate.
“More women, and especially young women, need to be at the forefront of tackling the big issues in our province today – and that’s why I’m running,” Spitz said in party’s online write-up.
Spitz also said: “I’ve spent my years on campus empowering more young people to step up and participate in our democracy, and I’m excited to be a voice for them in this election and within our party.”
Born in the Philippines, Spitz is passionate about the environment and sustainable development.
She has led a campus campaign promoting the importance of protecting our environment while protecting and creating BC jobs.
Spitz is the past president of a major campus club at UBC, where she worked to engage hundreds of students in politics and current affairs.
She has served on the Ubyssey newspaper’s board of directors and has been an active volunteer for good causes including Ronald McDonald House.
“Jane is everything we need more of in politics – young, energetic, and full of innovative ideas that will strengthen our party and our province,” said Justice Minister Suzanne Anton, B.C. Liberal candidate for Vancouver-Fraserview. “I’m delighted to have her on the strongest team of BC Liberal candidates Vancouver has ever seen.”