First in a series of profiles of Surrey's first-time MLAs, the following is a Q&A with Amna Shah, MLA-elect in Surrey City Centre. The NDP candidate is a newcomer to provincial politics in a riding she narrowly won, following an Elections BC-ordered automatic recount of ballots. The final tally gave Shah 6,727 votes, just 236 more than Conservative opponent Zeeshan Wahla. The riding, formerly Surrey-Whalley, had long been held by the NDP's Bruce Ralston, who did not seek re-election.
You must be thrilled with the election results in Surrey City Centre. How are you feeling now that the recount is completed?
"There's a range of emotion, you know. I'm thrilled, I'm excited to get to work. I'm humbled and I feel pretty privileged, quite frankly. It's been a whirlwind but I think the one thing that I'm looking forward to the most is just getting down to work."
Were you surprised by how close the election was? This is a riding long held by the NDP, as you know. Was it too close for your liking?
"I think we kind of knew that across the province it was going to be a bit of a close race, but that's why we really fought hard this campaign. I know that our volunteers, our staff, supporters, they really worked hard to get out there to speak to voters, to help them to the polls. And it's part of the reason I feel so humbled, is just to see the dedication and the support of everybody who made this campaign possible and successful. It tells us a lot of things, and the most important thing is that, you know, we need to really deliver for British Columbians, for Surrey residents in particular, just to continue listening and really focus on the things that we were hearing at the doors that are the most important issues in Surrey, that being health care and housing."
When and why did you decide to run?
"You know, I've had an extensive history in Surrey, especially when it relates to areas of service, and no matter what role I've had in the past, I always took it as a privilege for me to be able to serve in a number of different capacities. I've done a variety of different things, and much of that was ground work, on-the-ground work. It really struck me that there is an opportunity for me, having seen how things work on the ground, having been talking to people on the ground and see what their needs are, a way to sort of translate that in a position of leadership where we really need to do what we need to do best, and that is to listen and to deliver. For me, it was a natural progression of my years in service, my work in government, on the ground. So it felt very natural for me to get here. But of course, none of it is without its challenges. I'm happy to have developed throughout this process."
OK, but when did you decide to run? Earlier this year?
"You know, it was earlier this year. I had many people throughout the years actually approach me and say, 'Hey, you should seriously consider, you know, doing something like this.' For me, I was actually preoccupied with the work that I was doing, because I enjoyed it. This year, it's became much more of a reality than it was previously."
You've been on the board of Surrey Food Bank, and you also worked in government. What was that role?
"My current job that I took leave from was the director of outreach and stakeholder relations for the BC Government Caucus. It was an incredibly rewarding job in the sense that I was able to build on my strength, which was really getting out there in community and talking to people who we regularly talk to, but also people who we've never interacted with in the past. It was rewarding in the sense that there was so much to learn, there was so much information acquisition.… I will miss that job but I'm happy that I'm on this new journey here.
You've lived in Surrey for around 20 years, correct? What brought you here? Tell me more about you and your family.
"I'm a first-generation immigrant. I moved to this country from Malaysia. I was a high school kid when I came to this country, to Surrey, and you know, the main reason why my parents left Malaysia was in hopes of a better future for their children. Canada was always the destination which they wanted to call their forever home. Likewise, for me growing up and knowing that that was a place that we wanted to call our forever home, I always looked at it with dreamy eyes. So, when I came here, I felt so incredibly lucky and optimistic for our future here. I went to high school here in Surrey (Johnston Heights Secondary) and even coached rugby here in Surrey, and I played as well. All of that was also driven by the fact that I truly loved being here and I loved being around people, people who I called my friends, people who I met through sport and through education endeavours. I always tell people that I'm grateful, that despite the challenges that a first-generation immigrant experiences, I've always been grateful of how good Canada has been to me, and I always want to continue to be good to Canada."
Do you live in the riding of Surrey City Centre?
"Nearby, in Surrey. I have my immediate family here including my parents and brother, and my sister lives in Ontario. We're a small family. We came here, didn't know anybody, and it's kind of remained that way, just our immediate family."
This election, there were more women elected in B.C. than men, which is historic. Are you proud to be part of that?
"Yes, it is quite historic, and obviously I feel very privileged to be a part of that. And even beyond that, we actually have women who have so much expertise, who are so skilled in what they do, in they're prior community service. I'm getting to know some of my colleagues now, and have just been consistently blown away by what they bring to the table. I'm very excited about how that's going to play out."
Do you have any aspirations of being in cabinet one day, and what portfolio?
"You know what, I'm simply excited and very thrilled to serve Surrey City Centre. That's my priority. We've got a number of projects that are on the go already, and I'll be watching, I'll be seeing them through, I'll be advocating for those things. Surrey City Centre is a place that I love because there's so much diversity there, whether we're talking about community, whether we're talking about industry. There's a lot to do in the riding, and that's my first priority right now."
What's next for you and the other MLAs-elect?
"I think the oath-taking is Nov. 13 and I think after that, we need to get into it, we need to get started on the work now. And I like that because, you know, we're all very fresh off of the campaign and we've heard people and their concerns."
