Spencer Herbert | |
Vancouver Parks Board Commissioner
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In office 2005 – 2008 |
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MLA for Vancouver-Burrard
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In office 2008 – 2009 |
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Preceded by | Lorne Mayencourt |
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Succeeded by | riding dissolved |
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Incumbent | |
Assumed office 2009 |
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Preceded by | first member |
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Born | May 15, 1981 |
Nationality | Canadian |
Political party | COPE (municipal) New Democratic Party (provincial) |
Occupation | arts manager |
Spencer Herbert is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia to represent the electoral district of Vancouver-Burrard in a by-election on October 29, 2008. On May 13, 2009 he was re-elected to the Legislature, this time in the newly created riding of Vancouver-West End. A member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party, his candidacy was endorsed in a Georgia Straight editorial.[1]
At age 27, Herbert is the youngest current member of the Legislative Assembly.[2]
He worked as an arts manager before entering politics, and previously served as a Coalition of Progressive Electors commissioner on the Vancouver Parks Board from 2005 to 2008. On the parks board, he fought against a proposal to add an animatronic dinosaur exhibit in Stanley Park.[2] In 2006, he won the City of Vancouver Youth of the Year Award.[3]
As well, he has been a community activist, working with Better Environmentally Sound Transportation, the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, the Vancouver GLBT Centre, the Coal Harbour Residents Association, the West End Residents Association and the Save St. Paul's Coalition.[3]
Herbert is openly gay.[4] Following the parole on February 5, 2009 of Ryan Cran, who had been convicted of manslaughter in the 2001 gay bashing death of Aaron Webster in Stanley Park, Herbert called for the province to create a provincial telephone hotline for people to report gay bashing incidents and threats, as well as the appointment of a community victim services worker in Davie Village.[5]
Herbert is a graduate of Prince of Wales Mini School, where he was school President in Grade 12, and Simon Fraser University.
Electoral record
British Columbia general election, 2009: Vancouver-West End | |||||
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Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
New Democrat | Spencer Herbert | 9,302 | 56.66% | ||
BC Liberal | Laura McDiarmid | 5,375 | 32.74% | ||
Green | Drina Read | 1,442 | 8.78% | ||
Libertarian | John Clarke | 180 | 1.10% | ||
Non-affiliated | Menard D. Caissy | 33 | 0.20% | ||
Sex | Scarlett Lake | 84 | 0.51% | ||
Total valid votes | 16,416 | 100% |
By-election, October 29, 2008: Vancouver-Burrard | |||||
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Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
NDP | Spencer Herbert | 6,516 | 50.11 | ||
BC Liberal | Arthur Griffiths | 4,841 | 37.23 | ||
Green | Drina Read | 686 | 5.28 | ||
Conservative | Ian McLeod | 604 | 4.65 | ||
Marijuana | Marc Emery | 356 | 2.73 |
References
- ^ "NDP's Spencer Herbert and Jenn McGinn easy choices in Vancouver by-elections", Georgia Straight, October 23, 2008.
- ^ a b "Profile: Spencer Herbert, activist and now youngest MLA in Victoria", Vancouver Province, October 30, 2008.
- ^ a b "Spencer Herbert, Vancouver-Burrard", Vancouver Sun, October 30, 2008.
- ^ "Queer candidates feature in provincial by-elections set for Oct 29", Xtra! West, October 9, 2008.
- ^ "Gay community troubled by release of killer in Stanley Park death", cbc.ca, February 5, 2009.
External links
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