Thursday April 27, 2023 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
For a quick visit with her two young children in tow, former MLA Michelle Mungall was in the halls at the BC Legislature yesterday.
Mungall and her husband Zak paid a social visit to the NDP Caucus during their lunch-hour meeting.
As Michelle paused in the legislature hallways, many people were excited to greet her and meet her children.
Their son Xavier is 4 years old and daughter Ava is 2.
Mungall is now focusing on writing some historical non-fiction about her time in government. Her last post on Twitter in September 2020 described her as: “Mountain woman. Mom. Retired politician. Feminist. Geek.”
Roles in government:
She was elected three times (2009, 2013, 2017) in Nelson-Creston. At the dissolution of parliament in September 2020 she had been Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness. During 2017-2020 she had served as the Minister for Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.
In the ministerial role she led the government through adopting the Zero- Emission Vehicles Act to require that by the year 2040 all new light-duty vehicle sales in BC must be zero-emission vehicles.
She also led the government through amending several energy, mines and petroleum resource-related acts, including implementing recommendations from a comprehensive review of BC Hydro.
In 2002, Michelle was the youngest person ever elected to Nelson city council, and seven years later, at age 31, Michelle became the first woman elected as MLA in Nelson-Creston.
Michelle served as the Official Opposition Opposition spokesperson for social development. She also served as the Caucus Deputy House Leader.
Before government:
Her university studies and her career in community development have led Michelle to champion social justice and financial security both in her community and internationally.
Internationally, Michelle worked as a National Programs Assistant for YMCA Zambia, helping to improve the lives of girls with HIV/AIDS.
===== ABOUT THE WRITER & ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS:
Mary P Brooke is the editor and publisher of Island Social Trends as published daily at islandsocialtrends.ca.
She has been covering politics, business, education and communities through a socioeconomic lens since 2008 on south Vancouver Island (previously as West Shore Voice News, and before that both Sooke Voice News and MapleLine Magazine, before launching the Island Social Trends online platform in mid-2020), all of those published by Brookeline Publishing House Inc.
Ms Brooke followed and wrote extensively about the COVID pandemic during 2020-2022, and continues to follow the topic as new developments arise. She has covered Sooke School District 62 (SD62) in depth since 2014 and BC education more broadly for over 10 years.
As an independent news contributor, Island Social Trends Editor Mary P Brooke now reports with the BC Legislative Press Gallery.