Teresa Wat | |
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Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly for Richmond North Centre Richmond Centre (2013–2017) | |
Assumed office May 14, 2013 | |
Preceded by | Rob Howard |
Personal details | |
Born | 1949 or 1950 (age 74–75)[1] British Hong Kong |
Political party | BC Conservative[2] |
Other political affiliations | BC United (until 2024) |
Teresa Wat (Chinese: 屈潔冰, born 1949 or 1950) is a Canadian politician who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2013 provincial election.[3] She currently represents the electoral district of Richmond-Bridgeport as a member of the Conservative Party of British Columbia. While sitting with BC United she was appointed Minister of International Trade, and Minister Responsible for the Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism on June 10, 2013, by Premier Christy Clark. While provincial minister of trade, Wat worked to court Huawei, China Poly Group, and other companies to invest in British Columbia.[4][5]
In Opposition, Wat has served as the Official Opposition Critic for Trade; for Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Anti-Racism Initiatives; and, as of May 2024, the Shadow Minister for Multiculturalism, Anti-Racism Initiatives, Arts and Culture.
Wat is the president and CEO of Mainstream Broadcasting Corporation CHMB AM1320 and has also served as the news director at Channel M (now OMNI Television British Columbia); she previously served as a communications advisor at British Columbia's Cabinet Policy and Communications Secretariat.[citation needed] In 2010, Wat was appointed to the Canadian Women Voters Congress Advisory Board and was appointed one of British Columbia's top 100 most influential women by the Vancouver Sun. She is a former board member of the School of Journalism at UBC.[citation needed]
Elected as a member of the BC Liberals (renamed BC United in 2023), she defected to the Conservative Party of British Columbia in August 2024.[6]