When new B.C. Liberal leader Kevin Falcon announced his new-look caucus Feb. 7, there was a notable lack of women.

Of the 27 roles, most of them critics, only seven are females.

香蕉视频直播淲e only have seven females,香蕉视频直播� Tegart said with a laugh, when asked about the disparity. 香蕉视频直播淭he thing is a good leader will go out and recruit really good candidates, and Kevin is very aware of what a good team looks like.

香蕉视频直播淩enee Merrifield has a very significant role (Critic for Environment & Climate Change) and Karin Kirkpatrick has a very significant role (Critic for Education, Children, Family Development, & Childcare). And Shirley Bond is staying on as Opposition Leader until such time as Kevin wins a seat.

香蕉视频直播淲e do have a limited number of women in our caucus, but they all have a role that I think they香蕉视频直播檙e quite pleased with, and some are pretty high profile.香蕉视频直播�

Tegart is in her third term as MLA for Fraser-Nicola, and she admitted it香蕉视频直播檚 still a tough world for a female politician.

香蕉视频直播淧olitics is a tough role to be in as a woman, particularly at a provincial and federal level,香蕉视频直播� she said.

Tegart said it香蕉视频直播檚 difficult for women to fundraise and difficult to put together a team.

香蕉视频直播淣ominations are incredibly difficult for women, and we tend not to nurture women for leadership roles at the provincial and federal levels,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淚f you look at school boards, you see quite a number of women because education is something that is near and dear to the heart of moms and females, and that seems to be a natural place for people to get their feet wet in politics.香蕉视频直播�

That香蕉视频直播檚 where Tegart got her political start, and she said the scariest thing is to put your name on a ballot and have strangers vote for you.

Or not.

香蕉视频直播淚n order to win, we have to go out and ask for your vote, and ask for your money to support the campaign,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淲e have to work really, really hard. Sometimes twice as hard as men. I香蕉视频直播檝e been so impressed with so many women in my life who香蕉视频直播檝e been very successful politically, but I don香蕉视频直播檛 know one who would tell you it was easy.香蕉视频直播�

The first time Tegart ran for school board, her mom gave her $200 and that was the full campaign budget.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 my understanding that from a male perspective, there香蕉视频直播檚 often a team around them and they often have a 香蕉视频直播榖agman,香蕉视频直播� someone who says 香蕉视频直播業 will collect the money,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈�� Tegart said. 香蕉视频直播淭hat just wasn香蕉视频直播檛 my experience. I was always amazed when people came up to me and said, 香蕉视频直播楬ow do I donate?香蕉视频直播� And I thought, 香蕉视频直播榊ou want to donate? How exciting!香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈��

Tegart drew inspiration from good friend Carol James, former leader of the B.C. NDP who served as Finance Minister under current Premier John Horgan. She watched James rise in the party, and under her leadership the NDP captured 41.52 per cent of the popular vote and 33 out of 79 seats in 2005 election. But she was forced out of the leadership position in 2010, with 13 caucus members urging her to resign.

香蕉视频直播淭o watch what happened to Carol makes you really cautious because how many women have actually been able to stay in leadership jobs?香蕉视频直播� Tegart asked.

In the most recent provincial election, Chilliwack Liberal candidate Kelly Velonis lamented the low level of discourse on social media, and said some people spent more time talking about her appearance than her party香蕉视频直播檚 policies.

That香蕉视频直播檚 one of the many reasons Tegart said she香蕉视频直播檚 avoided social media.

香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 even look at it,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淭here is nothing that is off base and you香蕉视频直播檝e got to get a thick skin. The way I deal with it is I know what my goal is and I香蕉视频直播檓 here to do the work. I don香蕉视频直播檛 have time for Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and whatever else. I get up every morning with a list of things to do, and at the end of the day most of them are checked off.

香蕉视频直播淏ut social media has definitely changed everything, and made it tougher.香蕉视频直播�

So is there hope? Is there anything to suggest that when Tegart talks about these same things in a decade, things will have changed?

She believes the answer is yes.

香蕉视频直播淎bsolutely,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淲e need young people. We need ethnic groups. We need a welcoming process to come into politics, be part of a team, be part of an election and have fun doing it. We need to see more of that and less of social media and sniping at each other. This is probably the most satisfying job I香蕉视频直播檝e ever had because of the people, and the things you can accomplish to make their lives better.

香蕉视频直播淏ut in 10 years? We香蕉视频直播檝e got a lot of dynamic young women who right now are pretty busy with families. But as kids grow and you get more time to contribute to your community and maybe the province, hopefully they think this is an honourable job to do.香蕉视频直播�

eric.welsh@hopestandard.com
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