Non-profit and social change leader and advocate Diana Gibson has won the BC NDP nomination in Oak Bay-Gordon Head.

Diana Gibson's life’s work is to make life better for people. She is an award-winning community social planner, policy advisor, and entrepreneur. In Ralph Klein’s Alberta, Diana wrote the book exposing the Conservative agenda to privatize and cut healthcare, and helped build the coalition that forced him to shelve the scheme. Settling here, she co-founded and was CEO of the Firelight Group – now the largest Indigenous-owned consulting firm – to partner with First Nations and local communities to protect their land and water and create good jobs and sustainable economic development. Leading the Community Social Planning Council of Greater Victoria, her team launched the region's Rent Bank and helped over 2,000 households avoid eviction during the pandemic. With a deep knowledge of the challenges facing her neighbours and community, she’s stepping forward to be Oak Bay-Gordon Head’s voice on David Eby's BC NDP team.

“People in Oak Bay-Gordon Head rely on strong public services like healthcare. We need a government that will invest in stronger services, not a government that will cut,” said Gibson. “Privatizing and cutting public healthcare carries so many risks that we just can’t afford. I won't let it happen."

Since forming government in July 2017, the BC NDP has taken action on crucial issues that matter to the people of Oak Bay-Gordon Head, including:

• Putting people ahead of speculators and investors by bringing in tough new restrictions on short-term rentals and a speculation tax, plus simplified approvals that make it easier and faster to get 300,000 new homes built;
• Connecting people to the care they need by hiring 700 more family doctors, licensing internationally-educated healthcare workers in BC and building a new medical school at SFU Surrey to train even more doctors;
• Helping people with costs by eliminating MSP Premiums, reducing ICBC rates by $500 a year, boosting the BC Family Benefit by $445, cutting childcare fees in half, and making birth control free; and
• Working with the Green Party to develop CleanBC, the most ambitious climate plan in North America, and taking action to electrify the economy, create green jobs, and more opportunities for BC businesses.

“Diana is an entrepreneur and a community leader and I am proud to have her on our BC NDP team. She has helped protect housing for thousands of people and spearheaded people-first sustainability programs for her community,” said Premier David Eby. “People can count on Diana to work day in and day out for a sustainable economy where everyone can afford a home and live a good life. She will build on Murray's excellent work.”

Diana Gibson will join David Eby and 91 other exceptional BC NDP candidates in this fall’s provincial election, all committed to real action to help people build a good life here in BC.