Powell River-Sunshine Coast

Randene Neill (BC NDP) was elected to represent the riding during the 2024 BC election. Prior to entering politics she was a television news journalist for Global BC for over 20 years, until her departure in 2017.^[1] She was appointed Minister of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship on November 18, 2024.^[2]

The first MLA to represent the riding was Gordon Wilson. Wilson was the leader of the BC Liberal party from 1987 to 1993. During a 1991 leaders debate he had a great performance, catapulting his party in the polls. The BC Liberals went from 0 seats in the 1986 BC election, to 17, becoming the Official Opposition. In 1993 he was caught having an affair with a fellow MLA, Judi Tyabji, and lost the Liberal leadership. He and Tyabji left the Liberal party and went on to form the Progressive Democratic Alliance, with Wilson as leader. Wilson won re-election under the party banner, but Tybaji did not. He dissolved the party in 1999 and joined the BC NDP. As a member of the BC NDP he served in several cabinet positions and ran for its leadership in 2000, but dropped out before the vote. He lost re-election in 2001 to Harold Long.^[3]

Harold Long was the former Social Credit MLA for Mackenzie, from 1986 to 1991, until he lost re-election to Wilson. He returned to office as a BC Liberal in 2001. He announced he would not run for re-election in 2005. He died in a plane crash in 2013.^[4]

Nicholas Simons, a member of the BC NDP, won the seat in 2005. He worked as a social worker before entering politics. Simons was also one of the first openly gay men to serve in the legislature. He served for over 19 years before announcing his retirement prior to the 2024 BC election.^[5] He endorsed Randene Neill to succeed him, and she went on to win the seat. During his time in office he also served as Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction from 2020 to 2022^[6] and ran for the BC NDP leadership in 2011, but dropped out before voting took place.^[7]