John Yap
Encyclopedia
John Yap MLA is a Canadian politician and is currently the Parliamentary Secretary for Clean Technology to the Minister of Energy and Mines. Since 2005 he has represented the riding of Richmond-Steveston
in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
. He is a member of the BC Liberal Party
. Originally from Singapore, Yap emigrated with his parents to Canada and to BC's Lower Mainland
where he graduated from the University of British Columbia
with a Masters of Business Administration and worked as a banker and financial advisor.
to a homemaker mother and a medical doctor father. Yap is of Chinese descent and speaks Mandarin and Cantonese. The family immigrated to Canada, settling in Greater Vancouver
by 1976. John moved to Richmond, British Columbia
in 1986. He attended the University of British Columbia
, where he completed a Bachelors of Science and graduated with a Masters of Business Administration. He went on to lead a twenty-years career in banking with Toronto-Dominion Bank
and financial planning with the Investors Group
.
John is married with two grown children, a son and a daughter. His wife, Suzanne Yap, graduated with a Commerce degree from Simon Fraser University
. His son, Michael Yap, is currently doing his Bachelor of Arts at the University of British Columbia
. His daughter, Lisa Yap, is doing a Bachelor of Communications at Simon Fraser University
. Both Lisa and Michael are open champion level Irish dancers. For the past two decades, John and his family have resided in Richmond.
and an honourary member of the Vancouver Diamond Lions Club. He was heavily involved with the Gilmore Park United Church and the Gilmore Gardens Seniors Centre. He served as board chair of the seniors centre during his 2005 election run in which he promoted seniors issues.
In the Richmond-Steveston
riding, Yap had worked on Geoff Plant
's 1996 election
campaign and worked as Plant's campaign chairman in the 2001 election
. After Plant announced his retirement Yap nominated himself to represent the BC Liberals in the riding during the next election. Plant vocally supported Yap's candidacy and Yap was acclaimed uncontested.
In the 38th Provincial General Election
, held on May 17, 2005, Yap was elected to the 38th Parliament of British Columbia
. He defeated three other candidates in the Richmond-Steveston riding: an Indo-Canadian employment-agency owner and NDP
candidate Kay Hale, the Green Party candidate Egidio Spinelli, and the Democratic Reform BC
candidate Daniel Ferguson. As an Member of the Legislative Assembly in the 38th Parliament Yap was a member of the Treasury Board and served on several committees: the Legislative Review Cabinet Committee, and the Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture, and the Select Standing Committees of Public Accounts, Crown Corporations, and Finance and Government Services. In September 2006, Yap was elected by his peers to be the Chair of the BC Government Caucus.
In the 39th Provincial General Election
, held on May 12, 2009, Yap was re-elected, defeating three other candidates: the NDP candidate and retired medical transcriptionist Sue Wallis, the Green Party candidate, as well as Barry Chilton who was the former BC Conservative Party
leader.
Yap was retained as Minister of State for Climate Action during Gordon Campbell final cabinet shuffle, in October 2010. Yap supported the Province's move towards the Harmonized Sales Tax
. Yap also supported the Premier's initiative in income tax reduction to the first $72,000 of income, effective January 1, 2011. In the 2011 BC Liberal Party leadership election Yap endorsed Kevin Falcon
, though Christy Clark
eventually won.
He was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary for Clean Technology to the Minister of Energy and Mines on March 14, 2011.
as the Minister of State for Climate Action. Yap was responsible for implementing British Columbia's Climate Action Plan and overseeing B.C.'s legislated carbon emissions reduction target of 33% by 2020. Regarding climate action initiatives, Yap worked to ensure the 2010 Winter Olympics
and Paralympics
were carbon neutral, and with various ministries he helped supervise the public sector's transition to carbon neutrality, increases in provincial fuel taxes (based on the fuel's carbon content), the creation of a Crown corporation to administer B.C.-specific carbon off-sets (the Pacific Carbon Trust), a memorandum of understanding with the California Air Resources Board
regarding auto emission standards, expanded recycling initiatives, and a cap-and-trade system through the Western Climate Initiative. Yap also signed agreements with Washington Department of Ecology Director Ted Sturdevant on limiting carbon emissions from government operations and promoting awareness of the impacts of sea level rise on coastal areas. On February 7, 2011 Yap and Terasen Gas provided $6.9 million for 35 energy projects in ten school districts to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption and costs through British Columbia's Energy Conservation Agreement Fund. In addition, Yap supported the $15-million, three-year LiveSmart BC for small businesses across B.C. to access free energy-efficiency advice, equipment and incentives. “This program will allow thousands of B.C. small businesses to save money and reduce their energy consumption,” Yap said. “We know small businesses are the backbone of the economy and together we can work towards our climate action goals."
| style="width: 130px" |BC Liberal
|John Yap
|align="right"|13,168
|align="right"|61%
|align="center"|+2
|align="right"|$109,468
|New Democrat
|Sue Wallis
|align="right"|5,925
|align="right"|27%
|align="center"|-4
|align="right"|$17,718
|Green
|Jeff Hill
|align="right"|1,491
|align="right"|7%
|align="center"|-1
|align="right"|$350
|BC Conservative
|Barry Chilton
|align="right"|1,082
|align="right"|5%
|align="center"|n/a
|align="right"|$450
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Total Valid Votes
!align="right"|21,666
!align="right"|100%
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Total Rejected Ballots
!align="right"|167
!align="right"|0.76%
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Turnout
!align="right"|21,833
!align="right"|52%
|}
|-
| style="width: 130px" |BC Liberal
|John Yap
|align="right"|13,859
|align="right"|59%
|-
|New Democrat
|Kay Hale
|align="right"|7,334
|align="right"|31%
|Green
|Egidio Spinelli
|align="right"|1,934
|align="right"|8%
|Democratic Reform BC
|Daniel Stuart Ferguson
|align="right"|282
|align="right"|1%
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Total Valid Votes
!align="right"|23,409
!align="right"|100%
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Total Rejected Ballots
!align="right"|152
!align="right"|0.65%
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Turnout
!align="right"|23,561
!align="right"|60%
|}
Richmond-Steveston
Richmond-Steveston is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada.- Demographics :- Member of Legislative Assembly :Its MLA is John Yap. He was first elected in 2005, and was re-elected in 2009...
in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....
. He is a member of the BC Liberal Party
British Columbia Liberal Party
The British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election...
. Originally from Singapore, Yap emigrated with his parents to Canada and to BC's Lower Mainland
Lower Mainland
The Lower Mainland is a name commonly applied to the region surrounding and including Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As of 2007, 2,524,113 people live in the region; sixteen of the province's thirty most populous municipalities are located there.While the term Lower Mainland has been...
where he graduated from the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
with a Masters of Business Administration and worked as a banker and financial advisor.
Early Life and Family
John Yap was born in SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
to a homemaker mother and a medical doctor father. Yap is of Chinese descent and speaks Mandarin and Cantonese. The family immigrated to Canada, settling in Greater Vancouver
Greater Vancouver
Greater Vancouver is the metropolitan area centred on the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, roughly coterminous with the Greater Vancouver Regional District, which is governed by a body known as Metro Vancouver...
by 1976. John moved to Richmond, British Columbia
Richmond, British Columbia
Richmond is a coastal city, incorporated in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Part of Metro Vancouver, its neighbouring communities are Vancouver and Burnaby to the north, New Westminster to the east, and Delta to the south, while the Strait of Georgia forms its western border...
in 1986. He attended the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
, where he completed a Bachelors of Science and graduated with a Masters of Business Administration. He went on to lead a twenty-years career in banking with Toronto-Dominion Bank
Toronto-Dominion Bank
The Toronto-Dominion Bank , is the second-largest bank in Canada by market capitalization and based on assets. It is also the sixth largest bank in North America. Commonly known as TD and operating as TD Bank Group, the bank was created in 1955 through the merger of the Bank of Toronto and the...
and financial planning with the Investors Group
IGM Financial
IGM Financial Inc. is a Canadian financial services company, with $133.5 billion in total assets under management as at May 31, 2011.Its activities are carried out principally by Investors Group, through a network of approximately 4,600 Consultants, by Mackenzie Financial Corporation through a...
.
John is married with two grown children, a son and a daughter. His wife, Suzanne Yap, graduated with a Commerce degree from Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
. His son, Michael Yap, is currently doing his Bachelor of Arts at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
. His daughter, Lisa Yap, is doing a Bachelor of Communications at Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
. Both Lisa and Michael are open champion level Irish dancers. For the past two decades, John and his family have resided in Richmond.
Political career
Yap is a member and past-president (1999–2000) of the Richmond Sunset Rotary ClubRotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
and an honourary member of the Vancouver Diamond Lions Club. He was heavily involved with the Gilmore Park United Church and the Gilmore Gardens Seniors Centre. He served as board chair of the seniors centre during his 2005 election run in which he promoted seniors issues.
In the Richmond-Steveston
Richmond-Steveston
Richmond-Steveston is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada.- Demographics :- Member of Legislative Assembly :Its MLA is John Yap. He was first elected in 2005, and was re-elected in 2009...
riding, Yap had worked on Geoff Plant
Geoff Plant
Geoff Plant, QC is a British Columbia lawyer and retired politician known for his interest in citizen's legal and electoral rights and aboriginal rights....
's 1996 election
British Columbia general election, 1996
The British Columbia general election of 1996 was the thirty sixth provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 30, 1996, and held on May 28, 1996...
campaign and worked as Plant's campaign chairman in the 2001 election
British Columbia general election, 2001
The British Columbia general election of 2001 was the 37th provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 18, 2001, and held on May 16, 2001...
. After Plant announced his retirement Yap nominated himself to represent the BC Liberals in the riding during the next election. Plant vocally supported Yap's candidacy and Yap was acclaimed uncontested.
In the 38th Provincial General Election
British Columbia general election, 2005
The 38th British Columbia general election was held on May 17, 2005, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia , Canada. The BC Liberal Party formed the government of the province prior to this general election under the leadership of Premier Gordon Campbell...
, held on May 17, 2005, Yap was elected to the 38th Parliament of British Columbia
38th Parliament of British Columbia
The 38th Parliament of British Columbia sat from 2005 to 2009, replacing the 37th parliament and being succeeded by the 39th parliament. It was composed of two elements, Her Majesty The Queen represented in her absence by the Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia, currently the Hon...
. He defeated three other candidates in the Richmond-Steveston riding: an Indo-Canadian employment-agency owner and NDP
New Democratic Party of British Columbia
The New Democratic Party of British Columbia is a social-democratic political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party currently forms the official opposition to the governing British Columbia Liberal Party following the 2009 provincial election in British Columbia.The BC NDP is the provincial...
candidate Kay Hale, the Green Party candidate Egidio Spinelli, and the Democratic Reform BC
Democratic Reform British Columbia
Democratic Reform British Columbia is a progressive–centrist political party in the Province of British Columbia, Canada.-Formation of the party:...
candidate Daniel Ferguson. As an Member of the Legislative Assembly in the 38th Parliament Yap was a member of the Treasury Board and served on several committees: the Legislative Review Cabinet Committee, and the Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture, and the Select Standing Committees of Public Accounts, Crown Corporations, and Finance and Government Services. In September 2006, Yap was elected by his peers to be the Chair of the BC Government Caucus.
In the 39th Provincial General Election
British Columbia general election, 2009
The 39th British Columbia general election was held on May 12, 2009 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The BC Liberal Party formed the government of the province prior to this general election under the leadership of Premier Gordon Campbell...
, held on May 12, 2009, Yap was re-elected, defeating three other candidates: the NDP candidate and retired medical transcriptionist Sue Wallis, the Green Party candidate, as well as Barry Chilton who was the former BC Conservative Party
British Columbia Conservative Party
The British Columbia Conservative Party is a political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected as the government in 1903, the party went into decline after 1933...
leader.
Yap was retained as Minister of State for Climate Action during Gordon Campbell final cabinet shuffle, in October 2010. Yap supported the Province's move towards the Harmonized Sales Tax
Sales taxes in British Columbia
Sales taxes in British Columbia are levied via the Harmonized Sales Tax , which replaced the separate Provincial Sales Tax and federal Goods and Services Tax on 1 July 2010...
. Yap also supported the Premier's initiative in income tax reduction to the first $72,000 of income, effective January 1, 2011. In the 2011 BC Liberal Party leadership election Yap endorsed Kevin Falcon
Kevin Falcon
Kevin Falcon is a Canadian politician and is the current Deputy Premier of British Columbia, Canada. He is a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the district of Surrey-Cloverdale and is a member of the BC Liberals...
, though Christy Clark
Christy Clark
Christina Joan "Christy" Clark, MLA is a Canadian politician, the 35th and current Premier of British Columbia, Canada...
eventually won.
He was appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary for Clean Technology to the Minister of Energy and Mines on March 14, 2011.
Minister of State of Climate Action
On June 10, 2009 British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell promoted Yap to the Executive Council of British ColumbiaExecutive Council of British Columbia
The Executive Council of British Columbia is the cabinet of that Canadian province....
as the Minister of State for Climate Action. Yap was responsible for implementing British Columbia's Climate Action Plan and overseeing B.C.'s legislated carbon emissions reduction target of 33% by 2020. Regarding climate action initiatives, Yap worked to ensure the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
and Paralympics
2010 Winter Paralympics
The 2010 Winter Paralympics, officially the X Paralympic Winter Games, or the 10th Winter Paralympics, were held in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada from March 12 to 21, 2010. The Opening Ceremony took place in BC Place Stadium in Vancouver and the Closing Ceremony in Whistler...
were carbon neutral, and with various ministries he helped supervise the public sector's transition to carbon neutrality, increases in provincial fuel taxes (based on the fuel's carbon content), the creation of a Crown corporation to administer B.C.-specific carbon off-sets (the Pacific Carbon Trust), a memorandum of understanding with the California Air Resources Board
California Air Resources Board
The California Air Resources Board, also known as CARB or ARB, is the "clean air agency" in the government of California. Established in 1967 in the Mulford-Carrell Act, combining the Bureau of Air Sanitation and the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Board, CARB is a department within the...
regarding auto emission standards, expanded recycling initiatives, and a cap-and-trade system through the Western Climate Initiative. Yap also signed agreements with Washington Department of Ecology Director Ted Sturdevant on limiting carbon emissions from government operations and promoting awareness of the impacts of sea level rise on coastal areas. On February 7, 2011 Yap and Terasen Gas provided $6.9 million for 35 energy projects in ten school districts to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption and costs through British Columbia's Energy Conservation Agreement Fund. In addition, Yap supported the $15-million, three-year LiveSmart BC for small businesses across B.C. to access free energy-efficiency advice, equipment and incentives. “This program will allow thousands of B.C. small businesses to save money and reduce their energy consumption,” Yap said. “We know small businesses are the backbone of the economy and together we can work towards our climate action goals."
Energy Conservation Agreement
Yap supported the first Public Sector Energy Conservation Agreement (PSECA) as a partnership between BC Hydro and the Government of British Columbia. This agreement achieved annual energy cost savings of close to $7.4 million, GHG reductions of over 18,700 tonnes and conservation of 38.6 GWh of electricity.Revenue Neutral Carbon Tax
On July 1, 2008 Yap implemented the British Columbia revenue carbon tax to fuels such as gasoline, diesel, natural gas, heating fuel, propane and coal, and to peat and tires when used to produce energy or heat. Carbon tax revenue is returned to taxpayers through tax reductions and is not used to fund government programs. The refundable Low Income Climate Action Tax Credit ensures that low-income individuals and families are compensated for the tax. This legislation was supplemented by a $100 Climate Action Dividend that was distributed to all British Columbians in 2008.The Youth Outreach Initiative
Yap began a non-partisan program called the Youth Outreach Initiative Program (YOI) in 2008 to encourage youth involvement in the political process. The purpose of the YOI is to bridge the gap between the youth and the government. At Robert Cecil Palmer Secondary's Richmond School District's Student Leadership Conference (RSLC), Yap and his youth presenter educate and discuss issues such as lowering voting age to 16, mandatory voting laws, electronic voting options and increase classroom education.Electoral history
|-| style="width: 130px" |BC Liberal
British Columbia Liberal Party
The British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election...
|John Yap
|align="right"|13,168
|align="right"|61%
|align="center"|+2
|align="right"|$109,468
|New Democrat
New Democratic Party of British Columbia
The New Democratic Party of British Columbia is a social-democratic political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party currently forms the official opposition to the governing British Columbia Liberal Party following the 2009 provincial election in British Columbia.The BC NDP is the provincial...
|Sue Wallis
|align="right"|5,925
|align="right"|27%
|align="center"|-4
|align="right"|$17,718
|Green
Green Party of British Columbia
The Green Party of British Columbia is a political party in British Columbia, Canada. It is led by former Esquimalt municipal councillor, university professor and businessperson Jane Sterk, she was elected by the party in 2007. Penticton realtor and columnist Julius Bloomfield serves as the deputy...
|Jeff Hill
|align="right"|1,491
|align="right"|7%
|align="center"|-1
|align="right"|$350
|BC Conservative
British Columbia Conservative Party
The British Columbia Conservative Party is a political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected as the government in 1903, the party went into decline after 1933...
|Barry Chilton
|align="right"|1,082
|align="right"|5%
|align="center"|n/a
|align="right"|$450
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Total Valid Votes
!align="right"|21,666
!align="right"|100%
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Total Rejected Ballots
!align="right"|167
!align="right"|0.76%
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Turnout
!align="right"|21,833
!align="right"|52%
|}
|-
| style="width: 130px" |BC Liberal
British Columbia Liberal Party
The British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election...
|John Yap
|align="right"|13,859
|align="right"|59%
|-
|New Democrat
New Democratic Party of British Columbia
The New Democratic Party of British Columbia is a social-democratic political party in British Columbia, Canada. The party currently forms the official opposition to the governing British Columbia Liberal Party following the 2009 provincial election in British Columbia.The BC NDP is the provincial...
|Kay Hale
|align="right"|7,334
|align="right"|31%
|Green
Green Party of British Columbia
The Green Party of British Columbia is a political party in British Columbia, Canada. It is led by former Esquimalt municipal councillor, university professor and businessperson Jane Sterk, she was elected by the party in 2007. Penticton realtor and columnist Julius Bloomfield serves as the deputy...
|Egidio Spinelli
|align="right"|1,934
|align="right"|8%
|Democratic Reform BC
Democratic Reform British Columbia
Democratic Reform British Columbia is a progressive–centrist political party in the Province of British Columbia, Canada.-Formation of the party:...
|Daniel Stuart Ferguson
|align="right"|282
|align="right"|1%
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Total Valid Votes
!align="right"|23,409
!align="right"|100%
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Total Rejected Ballots
!align="right"|152
!align="right"|0.65%
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Turnout
!align="right"|23,561
!align="right"|60%
|}
External links
- British Columbia Liberal Party - John Yap (Richmond-Steveston)
- Legislative Assembly of British Columbia - Hon. John Yap