Bowinn Ma

The Honourable
Bowinn Ma
MLA
Bowinn Ma in 2024
Minister of Infrastructure of British Columbia
Incumbent
Assumed office
November 18, 2024
PremierDavid Eby
Preceded byPosition established
Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness of British Columbia
In office
December 7, 2022 – November 18, 2024
PremierDavid Eby
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byKelly Greene
Minister of State for Infrastructure of British Columbia
In office
November 26, 2020 – December 7, 2022
PremierJohn Horgan
David Eby
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byDan Coulter
Parliamentary Secretary for TransLink of British Columbia
In office
July 18, 2017 – November 26, 2020
PremierJohn Horgan
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly
for North Vancouver-Lonsdale
Incumbent
Assumed office
May 9, 2017
Preceded byNaomi Yamamoto
Personal details
Born (1985-07-25) July 25, 1985 (age 39)
Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Political partyNew Democratic Party
Residence(s)North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Alma materUniversity of British Columbia
ProfessionEngineer

Bowinn Ma, MLA is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2017 provincial election.[1] Ma then stood for re-election in the 2020 British Columbia general election and 2024 British Columbia general election, winning decisively in both.[2][3] She represents the electoral district of North Vancouver-Lonsdale as a member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party caucus.[1]

Ma serves as the Minister of Infrastructure, a new position in the Eby ministry created to deliver capital projects for the provincial government. She previously served in the Eby ministry as BC’s first Minister for Emergency Management and Climate Readiness.

In the Horgan ministry following the 2020 election, Ma was the Minister of State for Infrastructure, a position that served under the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, and also served on the Treasury Board.[4][5] Minister Ma's mandate included specific TransLink SkyTrain expansion projects, the Massey Tunnel replacement and completing the Pattullo Bridge.[6]

From 2017 to 2020, Ma served as the Parliamentary Secretary for TransLink,[7] as a member of the Cabinet Housing Working Group Committee,[8] as a member of the Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts,[9] and as the Chair of the Select Standing Committee on Crown Corporations.[10]

From 2017 to 2020 Ma was the youngest member of the current British Columbia Legislative Assembly, and the Canadian born daughter of Taiwanese immigrants.[11] Ma, Katrina Chen, and Anne Kang are the first MLAs of Taiwanese heritage to be elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.[12]

Ma was the first New Democrat to win a seat on the North Shore since David Schreck in 1991.[1] She defeated two-term incumbent BC Liberal Minister Naomi Yamamoto as a first-time candidate. The North Vancouver-Lonsdale upset result is often credited in part to increased turnout from Squamish Nation voters and the political mobilization of the Iranian-Canadian community, both of whom strongly favoured Ma.[13][14]

In November 2023, Ma became the third woman in BC history to give birth as a sitting cabinet minister, and the 14th in Canada.[15]

  1. ^ a b c Ma claims North Vancouver-Lonsdale for the NDP. North Shore News, May 9, 2017.
  2. ^ Ma's declared win in North Vancouver-Lonsdale a landslide for NDP. North Shore News, Oct 26, 2020.
  3. ^ "Bowinn Ma re-elected as North Vancouver-Lonsdale MLA". North Shore News. October 20, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  4. ^ "Premier John Horgan unveils his new cabinet".
  5. ^ Cabinet Committees. Government of British Columbia, November 26, 2020.
  6. ^ [1]. Premier John Horgan Mandate Letter to Minister of State for Infrastructure Bowinn Ma, November 26, 2020.
  7. ^ Metro Vancouver mayors have high hopes for new NDP TransLink boss, The Vancouver Sun, July 18, 2017
  8. ^ Cabinet Committees, BC Government Website, December 1, 2017
  9. ^ Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts Membership, BC Legislative Assembly Website, December 1, 2017
  10. ^ Select Standing Committee on Crown Corporations Membership, BC Legislative Assembly Website, December 1, 2017
  11. ^ Prominent Chinese Canadian calls on B.C. parties to create Asian caucuses. The Georgia Straight, April 9, 2017.
  12. ^ Taiwanese Canadian leader describes election of three B.C. MLAs as historic milestone, The Georgia Straight, June 9, 2017.
  13. ^ Squamish Nation voters help NDP rookie Bowinn Ma win B.C. riding, The Globe and Mail, May 11, 2017
  14. ^ 3 under-reported stories from the B.C. election, The Georgia Straight, June 17, 2017
  15. ^ "North Vancouver MLA Bowinn Ma welcomes newborn daughter". North Shore News. November 18, 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2024.