Bryan Tepper
Bryan Tepper MLA | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for Surrey-Panorama | |
| Assumed office October 19, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Jinny Sims |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | BC Conservatives |
Bryan Tepper is a Canadian politician who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2024 British Columbia general election. He represents the electoral district of Surrey-Panorama as a member of the Conservative Party of British Columbia.[1]
Early life and career
[edit]Tepper has resided in the community of Ocean Park in Surrey, British Columbia for 2 decades with his wife Rona and their three children. He worked as a RCMP police officer and was transferred to the city of Surrey in 2004.[2] During his career, he led a watch in District 3 in Newton/Panorama. He retired by the time of the 2024 British Columbia general election.[3]
Beyond his professional roles, Tepper and his wife are active volunteers in multiple organizations in their community including the Ocean Park Community Association, Crescent Beach Property Owners Association, the Crescent Beach Swim Club, Surrey Orcas Water Polo, and Crescent Beach Yacht Club.[2]
During his career as an RCMP officer he served as the treasurer of the Mounted Police Professional Association of Canada (MPPAC). As treasurer he played an integral role in securing the right to associate for RCMP members, paving the way for representation for RCMP members, by winning a landmark lawsuit against the federal government.[2]
Political career
[edit]2024 Conservative Nomination
[edit]Tepper sought the Conservative Party nomination to be a candidate in the 2017 South Surrey—White Rock federal by-election but lost to Kerry-Lynne Findlay.[4]
Tepper was originally nominated as the Conservative Party of British Columbia candidate in neighbouring Surrey-White Rock for the 2024 provincial election. However, after BC United abruptly ended its campaign to collaborate with the Conservatives, Tepper was moved to Surrey-Panorama to allow Trevor Halford, the incumbent BC United to run as the party's candidate in Surrey-White Rock.[3]
2024 Election and Conservative Leadership
[edit]On election night, he defeated NDP incumbent Jinny Sims with 49.6% of the votes, a slim margin of 263 votes.[3] He currently serves as the Critic for Community Safety and Integrated Services, as his time in law enforcement has provided him with invaluable insight on community safety and crime prevention.[2]
Policy positions
[edit]Healthcare reform stands as one of Tepper's pivotal main priorities. Whether it be addressing recruitment and retention challenges, emergency room closures, or delayed patient care, his vision focuses on ensuring BC's healthcare system is robust and accessible for all British Columbians. He believes that reducing administrative burdens such as cutting red tape to enhance efficiency will make BC a more attractive place for medical professionals.[5]
As the Critic for Community Safety and Integrated Services, Tepper uses his expertise in the public safety field to forward an approach that emphasizes collaboration on agencies and integrated community services. He believes that effective drug policy should include a tough-on-crime approach to tackling the issue of drug diversion, and also must include a plan for compassionate rehabilitation.[6]
His top three priority issues are: crime and drug addiction, health care reform, and economy and affordability.[6]
Political controversies
[edit]On March 4, 2025, amid a trade war between Canada and the US started by US president Donald Trump, Tepper introduced the YouTuber Jasper Sunshine, better known as MisterSunshineBaby, to the Legislative Assembly house as a guest. The BC NDP immediately criticized the invitation of Sunshine, who has espoused pro-Trump views on his social media.[7]
Electoral record
[edit]| 2024 British Columbia general election: Surrey-Panorama | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Conservative | Bryan Tepper | 8,735 | 49.6% | |||||
| New Democratic | Jinny Sims | 8,472 | 48.1% | -6.97 | ||||
| Freedom | Paramjit Rai | 404 | 2.3% | |||||
| Total valid votes | 17,611 | – | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | ||||||||
| Turnout | ||||||||
| Registered voters | ||||||||
| Source: Elections BC[8] | ||||||||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "BC election 2024 results: Surrey-Panorama | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Bryan Tepper at Conservative Party of BC". Conservative Party of BC. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ a b c Zytaruk, Tom (October 20, 2024). "Tepper tops NDP veteran Sims in Surrey-Panorama". Surrey Now-Leader. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
- ^ Holmes, Tracy (November 13, 2017). "Conservatives choose Findlay for South Surrey-White Rock run". Peace Arch News. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
- ^ ""Bryan Tepper: A dedicated leader, community advocate, and former RCMP officer, committed to building a safer, healthier, and stronger Surrey-Panorama for all." – The Times of Canada". Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ a b "Meet the candidates: Surrey-Panorama". Surrey Now-Leader. October 8, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
- ^ Daflos, Penny (March 6, 2025). "Outcry after B.C. Conservative invites pro-Trump YouTuber into legislature". CTV News. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
- ^ "BC election 2024 results: Surrey-Panorama | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
External links
[edit]
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