Kevin Falcon
Encyclopedia
Kevin Falcon is a Canadian politician and is the current Deputy Premier
of British Columbia
, Canada. He is a Member of the Legislative Assembly
(MLA) for the district of Surrey-Cloverdale
and is a member of the BC Liberals. Along with serving as Deputy Premier, Falcon is also the province's Minister of Finance.
. He lives in Surrey, British Columbia
with his wife Jessica and daughter Josephine.
a number of BC New Democratic Party MLA's in 1999.
He was first elected in 2001
as a BC Liberal to represent the riding of Surrey-Cloverdale
, and re-elected in the 2005
, and 2009 elections
.
Once Falcon was promoted to Minister of Health, he proposed changes to the health regulations regarding sales of contact lenses and eyeglasses which removed the requirement of a physical inspection of a prescription allowing their sale over the internet. The proposed changes caused widespread criticism from numerous professional health care associations including the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, BC Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, the Bochner Eye Institute, the World Council of Optometry, the Canadian Association of Optometry and many more optometric associations. These changes have set a ```New Low Standard` for public health`` and will increase the prevalence of asymptomatic eye diseases going undiagnosed causing more British Columbians to go blind.
Falcon is regarded as one of the more conservative members of caucus and was able to secure a large number of supporters from the British Columbia business community. He was also supported by 19 BC Liberal caucus members, one former caucus members and Liberal Party
Senator Larry Campbell
.
On December 11, the Vancouver Sun reported that Falcon's social media traffic was the highest of declared candidates. Throughout the campaign he refused to call for a full public inquiry into the sale of BC rail and associated scandal, which involved allegations of bribes paid to Liberal insiders. However, he agreed to an investigation into why the government paid $6 million in legal fees for Liberal party aides Robert Virk and David Basi after they pleaded guilty to accepting bribes.
Deputy Premier of British Columbia
The Deputy Premier of British Columbia is the representative of the Premier of British Columbia in the Canadian province of British Columbia when the current Premier is unable to attend functions executed by the Premier....
of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada. He is a Member of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
(MLA) for the district of Surrey-Cloverdale
Surrey-Cloverdale
Surrey-Cloverdale is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada.- Demographics :-1999 Redistribution:Changes to Surrey-Cloverdale include*removal of northwestern-most half to Surrey-Tynehead...
and is a member of the BC Liberals. Along with serving as Deputy Premier, Falcon is also the province's Minister of Finance.
Personal life
Born in British Columbia, Falcon holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Simon Fraser UniversitySimon 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...
. He lives in Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
with his wife Jessica and daughter Josephine.
Politics
Falcon's first step into the public arena was as a lead organizer of the "Total Recall" effort to recallRecall election
A recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended...
a number of BC New Democratic Party MLA's in 1999.
He was first elected in 2001
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...
as a BC Liberal to represent the riding of Surrey-Cloverdale
Surrey-Cloverdale
Surrey-Cloverdale is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada.- Demographics :-1999 Redistribution:Changes to Surrey-Cloverdale include*removal of northwestern-most half to Surrey-Tynehead...
, and re-elected in the 2005
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...
, and 2009 elections
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...
.
Once Falcon was promoted to Minister of Health, he proposed changes to the health regulations regarding sales of contact lenses and eyeglasses which removed the requirement of a physical inspection of a prescription allowing their sale over the internet. The proposed changes caused widespread criticism from numerous professional health care associations including the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, BC Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, the Bochner Eye Institute, the World Council of Optometry, the Canadian Association of Optometry and many more optometric associations. These changes have set a ```New Low Standard` for public health`` and will increase the prevalence of asymptomatic eye diseases going undiagnosed causing more British Columbians to go blind.
Leadership campaign
On November 3, 2010, Premier Gordon Campbell announced that he would step down as premier of British Columbia once his successor was chosen. On November 30, 2010, Falcon launched his campaign to be the leader of the BC Liberal Party, and subsequently the Premier of British Columbia.Falcon is regarded as one of the more conservative members of caucus and was able to secure a large number of supporters from the British Columbia business community. He was also supported by 19 BC Liberal caucus members, one former caucus members and Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
Senator Larry Campbell
Larry Campbell
Larry W. Campbell was the 37th Mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently a member of the Canadian Senate. Starting in 1969 Campbell worked for the RCMP in Vancouver and then in 1973 as a member of the Drug Squad...
.
On December 11, the Vancouver Sun reported that Falcon's social media traffic was the highest of declared candidates. Throughout the campaign he refused to call for a full public inquiry into the sale of BC rail and associated scandal, which involved allegations of bribes paid to Liberal insiders. However, he agreed to an investigation into why the government paid $6 million in legal fees for Liberal party aides Robert Virk and David Basi after they pleaded guilty to accepting bribes.