Teresa Wat | |
|---|---|
 Wat in 2016 | |
| Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly for Richmond-Bridgeport (Richmond North Centre, 2017—2024) | |
| Assumed office May 14, 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Rob Howard |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1949 or 1950 (age 75–76)[1] |
| Party | BC Conservative (2024–present) |
| Other political affiliations | BC United (until 2024) |
Teresa Wat (Chinese: 屈潔冰; born 1949 or 1950) is a Canadian politician who has served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (MLA) for Richmond-Bridgeport since 2013. She was appointed Minster of International Trade, and Minister Responsible for the Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism in 2013 by Premier Christy Clark. Initially elected as a member of the BC Liberal Party, Wat crossed the floor in 2024 to join the Conservative Party.
Early career
Wat is president and CEO of Mainstream Broadcasting Corporation (CHMB AM1320) and previously served as news director at Channel M (now OMNI Television British Columbia). She also worked as a communications advisor with the Cabinet Policy and Communications Secretariat of the Government of British Columbia.[citation needed]
In 2010, she was appointed to the Canadian Women Voters Congress Advisory Board and was named one of British Columbia’s top 100 most influential women by the Vancouver Sun. She has also served on the board of the School of Journalism at the University of British Columbia.[citation needed]
Political career
Wat was first elected in the 2013 provincial election as a member of the BC Liberal Party (renamed BC United in 2023). During her time in government, she worked to promote investment in British Columbia from international companies including Huawei and China Poly Group.[2][3]
In Opposition, Wat has held a number of critic roles, including critic for Trade; Tourism, Arts, Culture and Anti-Racism Initiatives; and, since May 2024, Shadow Minister for Multiculturalism, Anti-Racism Initiatives, Arts and Culture.
She crossed the floor to join the Conservative Party in August 2024.[4]
Electoral record
| 2024 British Columbia general election: Richmond-Bridgeport | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Conservative | Teresa Wat | 9,908 | 58.19 | +57.0 | $48,294.00 | |||
| New Democratic | Linda Li | 5,921 | 34.77 | -6.1 | $36,634.04 | |||
| Green | Tamás Revóczi | 547 | 3.21 | -4.7 | $1,148.70 | |||
| Independent | Glynnis Hoi Sum Chan | 519 | 3.05 | – | $9,838.43 | |||
| Independent | Charlie Smith | 132 | 0.78 | – | $0.00 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 17,027 | 99.68 | – | $71,700.08 | ||||
| Total rejected ballots | 54 | 0.32 | – | |||||
| Turnout | 17,081 | 48.63 | – | |||||
| Registered voters | 35,127 | |||||||
| Conservative notional gain from BC United | Swing | N/A[n 1] | ||||||
| Source: Elections BC[5][6] | ||||||||
- ↑ Swing cannot be calculated as BC United did not run a candidate in this riding.
| 2020 British Columbia general election: Richmond North Centre | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Teresa Wat | 7,675 | 51.26 | −1.22 | $41,998.62 | |||
| New Democratic | Jaeden Dela Torre | 5,964 | 39.83 | +5.79 | $6,837.05 | |||
| Green | Vernon Wang | 1,333 | 8.90 | −1.57 | $52.72 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 14,972 | 100.00 | – | $66,123.96 | ||||
| Total rejected ballots | 146 | 0.97 | −0.01 | |||||
| Turnout | 15,118 | 40.36 | −7.70 | |||||
| Registered voters | 37,459 | |||||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | −3.51 | ||||||
| Source: Elections BC[7][8] | ||||||||
| 2017 British Columbia general election: Richmond North Centre | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures | ||||
| Liberal | Teresa Wat | 7,916 | 52.48 | $64,973 | ||||
| New Democratic | Lyren Chiu | 5,135 | 34.04 | $19,215 | ||||
| Green | Ryan Kemp Marciniw | 1,579 | 10.47 | $489 | ||||
| Independent | Dong Pan | 336 | 2.23 | $3,687 | ||||
| Action | John Crocock | 117 | 0.78 | $0 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 15,083 | 100.00 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 149 | 0.98 | ||||||
| Turnout | 15,232 | 48.06 | ||||||
| Registered voters | 31,695 | |||||||
| Source: Elections BC[9][10] | ||||||||
| 2013 British Columbia general election: Richmond Centre | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Teresa Wat | 9,462 | 49.83 | –11.68 | $65,821.00 | |||
| New Democratic | Frank Yunrong Huang | 4,436 | 23.36 | –5.68 | $39,418.13 | |||
| Green | Michael Wolfe | 1,678 | 8.84 | +1.72 | $0.00 | |||
| Independent | Gary Law | 1,617 | 8.51 | — | $46,245.00 | |||
| Conservative | Lawrence Chen | 961 | 5.06 | — | $4,363.30 | |||
| Independent | Richard Lee | 754 | 3.97 | — | $9,441.32 | |||
| Unparty | Chanel Donovan | 82 | 0.43 | — | $165.31 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 18,990 | 100.00 | — | $73,218.39 | ||||
| Total rejected ballots | 180 | 0.94 | –0.04 | |||||
| Turnout | 19,170 | 43.65 | +2.63 | |||||
| Registered voters | 43,915 | |||||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | –3.00 | ||||||
| Source: Elections BC[11][12] | ||||||||
See also
References
- ↑ Teresa Wat eyes Richmond Centre van den Hemel, Martin. The Review [Richmond, B.C] 23 Jan 2013: 1.
- ↑ Campbell, Alan (December 12, 2018). "Richmond MLA tight-lipped on Huawei ties, as telecom giant's boss is bailed". Richmond News. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-20.
- ↑ Cooper, Sam; Quan, Doug (2017-08-26). "How a murky company with ties to the People's Liberation Army set up shop in B.C." Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on 2019-07-20. Retrieved 2019-07-20.
- ↑ Gangdev, Srushti; Brockman, Charles (2024-07-29). "BC United MLA Teresa Wat defects to BC Conservatives". CityNews Vancouver. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
- ↑ "Statement of Votes – 43rd Provincial General Election – October 19, 2024" (PDF). Elections BC. 17 April 2025. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ↑ "2024 Provincial General Election Financing Reports Available". Elections BC. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
- ↑ Boegman, Anton (July 27, 2021). "42nd Election Report and Statement of Votes" (PDF). Elections BC. pp. 6, 270–272. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
- ↑ "Election Financing Reports". Elections BC. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
- ↑ "2017 Provincial General Election Official Results" (PDF). Elections BC. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
- ↑ "Election Financing Reports". Elections BC. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
- ↑ Archer, Keith (January 21, 2014). "40th Election Statement of Votes" (PDF). Elections BC. pp. 414–417. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
- ↑ "Election Financing Reports". Elections BC. Retrieved August 21, 2024.