By Canadian Press

Former Liberal Jody Wilson-Raybould wins her Vancouver seat as Independent

Oct 21, 2019 | 11:09 PM

VANCOUVER — Former Liberal cabinet minister Jody Wilson-Raybould has been successful in her bid to get re-elected as an Independent candidate in Vancouver Granville.

Wilson-Raybould quit Justin Trudeau’s cabinet after she accused the prime minister and his office of inappropriately pressuring her as the attorney general to intervene in the criminal prosecution of Quebec engineering giant SNC-Lavalin on corruption charges.

Wilson-Raybould’s decision to leave cabinet was followed by her colleague Jane Philpott, who failed in her attempt to win as an Independent in the Ontario riding of Markham-Stouffville. The two politicians supported one another at events throughout the campaign.

Trudeau eventually kicked both women out of the Liberal caucus and many of their supporters saw it as vindication when the federal ethics commissioner concluded that Trudeau violated the Conflict of Interest Act by improperly pressuring Wilson-Raybould to stop the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin.

After trailing in early results, dozens of supporters erupted in cheers when Wilson-Raybould pulled into first place ahead of her closest challengers, Conservative Zach Segal and Liberal Taleeb Noormohamed.

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They chanted “Jody! Jody!” each time more results came in, solidifying her position after what was initially a tight three-way race.

Campaign volunteers said they weren’t surprised it was close.

“People are typically so used to voting for their parties down party lines,” said volunteer Amanda Burrows. “And when you have an Independent candidate who’s actually incredibly qualified standing for her values, people are voting the way they want to vote — for the person, not just the party.”

Jennifer Canas said she heard some hesitation from voters when door knocking during the campaign.

“People would ask about, ‘Well, you know, she’s an Independent.’ I would say, ‘Well, you know, she has a powerful voice,’ ” she said. “And they listened. It worked.”

Wilson-Raybould won the seat handily for the Liberals in 2015.

She pledged throughout her campaign to do politics differently through a non-partisan approach, a message that was backed by the support of Green Leader Elizabeth May at a rally in September.

Wilson-Raybould became a star candidate for the Liberals in their 2015 bid for power after serving as a B.C. regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations.

Entering the race this time, she had the advantage of a significantly larger profile than her challengers. But her campaign team was challenged with persuading voters that she would be an effective MP as an Independent without the same privileges in the House of Commons as the member of a major party.

Noormohamed tried to seize on that vulnerability in his bid to take the seat for the Liberals, saying in an interview during the campaign that voters in Vancouver Granville should have a voice in government.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2019.

Amy Smart, The Canadian Press