32 Facts About Claire Trevena

Claire Felicity Trevena was born on May 26,1962 and is a Canadian politician, who represented the North Island electoral district Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 2005 to 2020.

Claire Trevena is a member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party and was first elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly in the 2005 election and re-elected in the 2009,2013 and 2017 elections.

Originally from England, Trevena has a background in journalism having worked as a Canadian correspondent for British media.

Claire Trevena unsuccessfully filed a complaint with the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal after being fired from a job because of her political affiliation.

Claire Trevena was an advocate of renovations to the hospitals in Campbell River and Comox, opposing the health authority's plans to replace them with a new regional hospital near Courtenay.

In November 2010, Claire Trevena was one of thirteen party members to ask for a leadership convention, resulting in the resignation of Carole James as leader of the BC NDP.

Claire Trevena endorsed John Horgan in both the 2011 and 2014 leadership elections.

Claire Trevena worked as an editor for the BBC World Service and came to Canada, in 1993, as a Canadian correspondent for the BBC and other British media outlets.

Claire Trevena eventually went to work for CBC Newsworld International in Toronto and became a Canadian citizen.

Claire Trevena was hired in 2003 by the BC government as the communications director of the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform.

Claire Trevena filed a complaint with the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal claiming she was being discriminated against due to her political beliefs.

In September 2004, with the British Columbia New Democratic Party starting their nomination process for the up-coming provincial elections, Claire Trevena put her name forward as a candidate.

Claire Trevena campaigned more in the rural areas and with environmental groups.

Claire Trevena was selected for the bi-partisan Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture to deliver recommendations on the development of fish farms in BC.

NDP leader Carole James assigned Claire Trevena to be the official critic to the Employment and Income Assistance ministry, headed by BC Liberal Claude Richmond.

Claire Trevena supported the 2005 review of welfare rates in which she advocated for earning exemptions and opposed the ministry providing welfare recipients with "free socks, T-shirts and travel mugs" in exchange for authorizing direct deposits of welfare cheques into a bank account.

Claire Trevena chastised Richmond after an internal survey of ministry employees reported very morale and revealed he was ignoring staff recommendations.

On local issues, Claire Trevena lobbied the government to intervene in the bankruptcy of a Port Alice pulp mill.

Claire Trevena backed the creation of the North Coast Trail through Cape Scott Provincial Park, but opposed efforts at developing private accommodations in the park.

Claire Trevena delivered an 18,775 signature petition to the Legislative Assembly requesting Abbott to not approve the Health Authority's plan; the Health Authority eventually relented and upgraded the two smaller hospitals.

In July 2006, Carol James reassigned Claire Trevena to be critic of child care, early childhood development, and women's issues.

In 2007, Claire Trevena lobbied against budget cuts to child care programs by Minister of State for Child Care Linda Reid; after significant opposition some cuts were restored later in the year.

Claire Trevena spoke out against a Ministry of Children and Family Development project to use MLA offices belonging exclusively to BC Liberal Party members to distribute 2,000 free automobile booster seats for children at public events.

Claire Trevena joined with fellow NDP MLAs Scott Fraser and Lana Popham, in conjunction with the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, in lobbying for the stop to old-growth logging on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.

In November 2010, Claire Trevena emerged as one of thirteen NDP MLAs to call for a leadership convention over the leadership of Carol James.

Claire Trevena subsequently presented the NDP forestry plan later that year, calling for reforestation, restriction to raw log exports, and the re-instatement of a jobs commissioner.

Claire Trevena advocated for the Coastal Ferry Amendment Act to include a freeze in the rise of ferry fees and subsequently called fare increases "disgraceful".

However, Claire Trevena's party lost the general election and again formed the official opposition.

In May 2014 Claire Trevena introduced a private member bill titled Provincial Shipbuilding Act, 2014 which would have required new public transportation vessels, like ferries, be constructed in Canada and that the procurement process give weight to bids that demonstrate direct economic benefits to BC and that utilize union contractors.

The bill was not advanced beyond first reading and, later that year, Claire Trevena was critical of the Premier for agreeing to build new ferries in Poland despite an election promise to create a shipbuilding industry in BC Claire Trevena introduced the same bill again in May 2015 but again it was not advanced beyond the first reading.

Claire Trevena endorsed Horgan to be leader of the BC NDP in the 2014 leadership election, as she had done in 2011 election.

Claire Trevena was again re-elected with her party forming the Official Opposition, but this time in a BC Liberal minority government.