Maurine Karagianis
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Maurine Karagianis | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly for Esquimalt-Royal Roads Esquimalt-Metchosin (2005-2009) | |
| In office May 17, 2005 – May 9, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Arnie Hamilton |
| Succeeded by | Mitzi Dean |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1949 or 1950 (age 75–76)[1] |
| Party | New Democrat |
| Occupation | businessperson, municipal councillor |
Maurine Edna Karagianis[2] (born 1949 or 1950) is a Canadian politician who formerly served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (MLA). A member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party (BC NDP), she represented the riding of Esquimalt-Metchosin from 2005 to 2009, and Esquimalt-Royal Roads from 2009 to 2017.
Prior to entering politics, Karagianis was an entrepreneur who opened her own retail fashion store, and operated a wholesale venture and an import/export business.[3] She was also a co-founder of the Sunshine Folkfest in Powell River, British Columbia.
She was elected as a municipal councillor in Esquimalt in 1996, and was re-elected in 1999 and 2002.[3] During her time on council, she helped launch the Capital Regional District's Arts Committee, serving as chair until 2005.[3] She also served three years with the provincial government as assistant to three NDP cabinet ministers beginning in 1998 – first in the Social Services ministry and then in Transportation and Highways.[3]
With the incumbent NDP Esquimalt-Metchosin MLA Moe Sihota declining to run again in the 2001 provincial election,[4] Karagianis was named as the party's candidate in the riding, but lost to Liberal candidate Arnie Hamilton.[5] After the election loss, she ran a consulting company from 2001 to 2005, working with non-profit organizations and First Nations to create seniors housing in BC.[6]
She contested the constituency of Esquimalt-Metchosin again in the 2005 election, this time garnering almost 50 percent of votes cast and 2,895 more votes than the next closest candidate to be elected the riding's MLA.[7] In the 38th Parliament, she served as the official opposition critic for Small Business and Revenue, Children and Family Development, and Transportation in NDP leader Carole James' shadow cabinet.[3][6]
She was re-elected in 2009 to the new constituency of Esquimalt-Royal Roads,[5] and was again appointed as the critic for Children and Family Development.[8] She was elected as Official Opposition Caucus Whip in January 2011,[9] and served in that position until her retirement. She also replaced Gary Coons as critic for BC Ferries and Coastal Communities in February 2013.[10]
Following her re-election in 2013,[5] she served as critic for shipbuilding, women's issues, and child care and early learning in the 40th Parliament.[11] She endorsed John Horgan in the 2014 NDP leadership election,[12] and was named critic for women, seniors, and early childhood development after Horgan's acclamation as NDP leader.[13]
She announced in August 2016 that she would not run again in the next provincial election.[1] After finishing her final term as MLA in 2017, she was appointed Chair of the Board of Directors of the Knowledge Network in July 2018,[14] and retired from that role in 2022.[15]