The only Member of the Legislative Assembly of B.C. who is of Filipino heritage has been named as the provincial government’s Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives.
Mable Elmore takes on the job as part of the new cabinet announced Wednesday (December 7) by B.C. NDP Premier David Eby.
Elmore was first elected as MLA representing Vancouver-Kensington in 2009. She is currently on her fourth term.
“I welcome my appointment as Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives,” Elmore said in a statement.
“I am looking forward to working various communities to fight racism and foster diversity in our province,” she said.
Elmore also spoke about the Filipino community’s aspiration to see a Filipino cultural centre that will serve as a home to promote and share Filipino heritage.
“As someone with a proud Filipino heritage, I am inspired by the ongoing work and advocacy around the development of a Filipino cultural centre in Vancouver,” Elmore said.
The Mabuhay House Society is a nonprofit that is spearheading the drive to develop a Filipino cultural centre.
Elmore said: “In line with this, I am supporting the Mabuhay House Society and its initiative to engage the community and stakeholders, particularly the three levels of government, to make the dream of a Filipino cultural centre a concrete reality.”
In a statement, the provincial government said that Premier Eby has announced a new cabinet made of experience and new energy.
The new cabinet will “focus on tackling the problems people are facing, and working to make life better for British Columbians”.
“British Columbia is a wonderful place to live, but people are looking for action on the issues facing them and their families,” Eby said.
“If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that we can’t solve these problems alone. We need to solve them together. My team of determined colleagues will use a wealth and variety of experiences to continue the good work we’ve started and go further to deliver results people can see and feel in their communities.”
The new cabinet members are tasked with helping regular British Columbians with the cost of living, strengthening the health-care system, tackling the housing crisis so people can find affordable, attainable homes, making communities safer, advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, fighting the impacts of climate change and building a sustainable, clean-energy economy that works for everyone.
Two new ministries are being created to devote more attention and resources to major issues that impact British Columbians: the Ministry of Housing, and the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness.
The new cabinet includes 23 ministers and four ministers of state. The cabinet will be supported in its work by 14 parliamentary secretaries.
Before the cabinet shuffle, Elmore served as Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors’ Services and Long-Term Care.
She previously served as the Parliamentary Secretary for Poverty Reduction.
Elmore was also co-chair of the Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction’s Advisory Forum on Poverty Reduction.
She also served as the Spokesperson for Temporary Foreign Workers and Immigration and was the Deputy Spokesperson for Finance.
