Mary Polak

Mary Ruth Polak (born 1967 or 1968) is a Canadian politician, who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (MLA) for the riding of Langley from 2005 to 2020. She was re-elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in 2017, having represented the constituents of Langley since 2005 and was appointed Minister of Health on June 12, 2017 by Premier Christy Clark. Prior to her new cabinet post, she served as the Minister of the Environment, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, Minister of Children and Family Development and Minister Responsible for Child Care, Minister of Healthy Living and Sport, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health for the Conversation on Health. Before being elected to the legislative assembly, Polak served as a trustee and former chair of the Surrey School Board in Surrey, British Columbia. She currently resides in Langley, British Columbia.

Mary Polak

MLA
Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly
for Langley
In office
May 17, 2005 – September 21, 2020
Preceded byLynn Stephens
Succeeded byAndrew Mercier
Minister of Health of British Columbia
In office
June 12, 2017 – July 18, 2017
PremierChristy Clark
Preceded byTerry Lake
Succeeded byAdrian Dix
Minister of Environment of British Columbia
In office
June 10, 2013 – June 12, 2017
PremierChristy Clark
Preceded byTerry Lake
Succeeded byJordan Sturdy
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure of British Columbia
In office
September 5, 2012 – June 10, 2013
PremierChristy Clark
Preceded byBlair Lekstrom
Succeeded byTodd Stone
Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation of British Columbia
In office
March 14, 2011 – September 5, 2012
PremierChristy Clark
Preceded byBarry Penner
Succeeded byIda Chong
Minister of Children and Family Development and Minister Responsible for Child Care of British Columbia
In office
June 10, 2009 – March 14, 2011
PremierGordon Campbell
Preceded byTom Christensen
Succeeded byMary McNeil
Minister of Healthy Living and Sport of British Columbia
In office
June 23, 2008 – June 10, 2009
PremierGordon Campbell
Succeeded byIda Chong
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health for the Conversation on Health of British Columbia
In office
December 19, 2006 – June 23, 2008
PremierGordon Campbell
Personal details
Born1967/1968 (age 52–53)[1]
Political partyBC Liberal
OccupationPolitician

Surrey School trustee

Same-sex-parents book controversy

Polak was recruited to run as a member of the Surrey Electors Team by school trustee Heather Stilwell. As a Trustee on the Surrey School Board, she voted down a request, along with the majority of the school board, to add three specific books dealing with same sex families as recommended learning resources for the kindergarten and grade one curriculum. These books were requested by a kindergarten teacher to reflect the realities of today is families and to teach his pupils about diversity and tolerance. The Government of British Columbia also declined to approve the same books.

A legal battle to overturn the decision to ban the three books went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, where the school board's decision was returned to the board.[2] The judgment cited the need for families headed by same-sex couples to be respected. Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin dismissed the school board's argument that children would be confused or misled by classroom information about same-sex parents.[3] The Surrey School Board then approved a different set of books depicting same sex families. In doing so, Surrey became the first school district in British Columbia to approve books depicting same sex families as recommended learning resources for primary grades, including kindergarten.

Results publishing

As school board chair, Polak made Surrey the first school district in British Columbia to publish school-by-school results for both elementary and secondary schools. These results were based on controversial standardized tests, opposed by a majority of public school teachers. They were published in Vancouver newspapers as "rankings" by the Fraser Institute. Polak also served as Chair of the Council of British Columbia School Districts and on the Board of Directors of the British Columbia School Trustees Association.

Provincial politics

She tried unsuccessfully to gain a seat in the Legislative Assembly as a candidate for the BC Liberal Party, but lost the 2004 Surrey-Panorama Ridge by-election to Jagrup Brar, the New Democratic Party of British Columbia candidate. This was a substantial defeat for the governing Liberals.

Polak won a seat in the 2005 provincial election in the riding of Langley by over 52%, 18 points ahead of her next closest competitor. As an MLA for Langley she served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health for the Conversation on Health and later as the Minister of Healthy Living and Sport.

Polak ran successfully again in the 2009 Provincial election, earning more than 56% at the polls and increased her margin over her nearest opponent to more than 20 points.[4]

In the 2013 British Columbia general election, Mary Polak sought reelection in Langley for a third term. She won her riding easily with nearly 52% of the popular vote nearly doubling the vote total of Andrew Mercier, the NDP candidate. She also defeated John Cummins, the leader of the British Columbia Conservative Party who received less than 12% of the popular vote.[5] A week before Election Day, Polak's campaign manager, Todd Hauptman, resigned, citing homophobia among the Langley electorate as his reason for stepping down.[6] Polak suggested that Hauptman had not fully disclosed his reasons for resigning.[7] She said that Hauptman quit after being alleged to have leaked information about the Liberal Party's strategy to the New Democratic Party (NDP);[8] Polak said that the New Democratic Party candidate was a friend of Hauptman's.[9] Hauptman, a gay man, issued a press release about his resignation.[10] Xtra!, a magazine that publishes lesbian and gay Canadian news, requested an interview with Hauptman to which he originally assented and later declined.[11]

Electoral record
2020 British Columbia general election: Langley
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
New DemocraticAndrew Mercier11,08947.17+12.56$28,812.20
LiberalMary Polak8,01434.09−10.31$41,052.70
GreenBill Masse2,46910.50−4.77$1,354.87
ConservativeShelly Jan1,9368.24+3.20$14,325.84
Total valid votes 23,508100.00–
Total rejected ballots   
Turnout   
Registered voters
Source: Elections BC[12][13]
2017 British Columbia general election: Langley
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalMary Polak10,75544.40−7.04$57,403
New DemocraticGail Chaddock-Costello8,38434.61+7.48$9,689
GreenElizabeth Helen Walker3,69915.27+5.72
ConservativeJustin Greenwood1,2215.04−6.84$171
LibertarianRobert Kerr Pobran1660.68–
Total valid votes 24,225100.00
Total rejected ballots 1280.53
Turnout 24,35359.40
Source: Elections BC[14]
2013 British Columbia general election: Langley
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalMary Polak14,03951.44−5.18$110,992
New DemocraticAndrew Mercier7,40327.13−8.64$57,812
ConservativeJohn Cummins3,24211.88–$21,714
GreenWally Martin2,6089.55+1.95$586
Total valid votes 27,292100.00
Total rejected ballots 1220.45
Turnout 27,41459.06
Source: Elections BC[15]

References
  1. For Liberal candidate Mary Polak, transportation is key The Leader [Surrey, B.C] 22 Oct 2004: 17.
  2. Text: Chamberlain v. Surrey School Board.
  3. "Supreme Court says B.C. school board wrong to ban same-sex books". CBC News. December 20, 2002. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  4. Elections BC results Archived 2009-05-31 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Elections BC results Archived 2013-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "'Marginalized' gay B.C. Liberal campaign manager quits". CBC News. May 7, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  7. Dave White. "Campaign manager quits over apparent anti-gay sentiments: Liberal candidate Mary Polak says there may be more behind her manager's departure". CKWX. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  8. Kelly Sinoski (May 7, 2013). "Langley Liberal campaign manager resigns over gay rights issue". Global News. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  9. John Ackermann (May 8, 2013). "Riding Profile: Langley". CKWX. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  10. Jeremy Nuttall (May 7, 2013). "Minister's campaign head quits over gay rights". 24 Hours. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  11. Jeremy Hainsworth (May 7, 2013). "Mary Polak's gay campaign manager resigns". Xtra!. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  12. "2020 Provincial General Election Final Voting Results". electionsbcenr.blob.core.windows.net. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  13. "Election Financing Reports". Elections BC. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  14. "Statement of Votes – 41st Provincial General Election – May 9, 2017" (PDF). Elections BC. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  15. "Statement of Votes - 40th Provincial General Election" (PDF). Elections BC. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
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