Harry Lali

{{Infobox officeholder

| image = File:Harry Lali (33710554995).jpg

| name = Harry Lali

| birth_name = Harbhajan Singh Lali

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|8|10}}

| birth_place = Jullundur, Punjab, India

| residence = Merritt, British Columbia

| constituency_AM = Fraser-Nicola

| assembly = British Columbia Legislative

| term_start = May 12, 2009

| term_end = May 14, 2013

| predecessor = Riding established

| successor = Jackie Tegart

| constituency_AM2 = Yale-Lillooet

| assembly2 = British Columbia Legislative

| term_start2 = May 17, 2005

| term_end2 = May 12, 2009

| predecessor2 = David Chutter

| successor2 = Riding dissolved

| term_start3 = October 17, 1991

| term_end3 = May 16, 2001

| predecessor3 = James Rabbitt

| successor3 = David Chutter

| office4 = Minister of Transportation and Highways of British Columbia

| premier4 = Glen Clark
Dan Miller
Ujjal Dosanjh

| term_start4 = February 18, 1998

| term_end4 = February 15, 2001

| predecessor4 = Lois Boone

| successor4 = Helmut Giesbrecht

| office5 = Merritt City Councillor

| term_start5 = December 1988

| term_end5 = October 17, 1991

| party = BC United (current)

BC NDP (former)

| religion =

| occupation =

}}

Harbhajan Singh "Harry" Lali (born August 10, 1955) is a former MLA in the Canadian province of British Columbia.

Biography

Lali spent eleven summers working in the forestry industry, and obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and South Asia Area Studies from the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia, where he helped establish the Chair of Punjabi and Sikh Studies. He served one term as City Councillor in Merritt starting in 1988, and was an employment counsellor for the Merritt Outreach Program from 1986 until 1991.{{cite web|url=https://www.leg.bc.ca/pages/bclass-legacy.aspx#/content/legacy/web/mla/39thparl/lalih.htm|title=39th Parliament Members at dissolution on April 16, 2013|publisher=Legislative Assembly of British Columbia|access-date=21 January 2017}}

He is a member of BC United and former member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party and the longest serving South Asian Member of a Legislative Assembly in Canadian history, surpassing his former colleague Moe Sihota in June 2010.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NQPwAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Lali%22+AND+%22+Harry+%22+Lillooet|title = Guide Parlementaire Canadien|year = 1994|isbn = 9780921925545}}{{Cite web |title=MLA: Harry Lali |url=http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/39thParl/laliH.htm |publisher=Legislative Assembly of British Columbia |work=Member Biography |access-date=2010-05-11}}{{cite news|title=Lali, longest-serving South Asian MLA|url=http://www.merrittherald.com/lali-longest-serving-south-asian-mla/|access-date=20 January 2017|publisher=Merritt Herald|date=15 June 2010}}

Provincial politics

In the 1991 election he was elected to the Legislative Assembly as MLA for Yale-Lillooet by defeating one-term Social Credit incumbent James Rabbitt, and was re-elected in 1996. Lali served as the Minister of Transportation and Highways from 1998 to 2001 under three different Premiers. For the 2001 election, he chose not to run for re-election.

He returned to the Assembly by winning his riding in the 2005 election ahead of BC Liberal Party candidate Lloyd Forman and Green Party candidate Michael McLean. Lali ran again elected in the newly created riding of Fraser-Nicola in the 2009 election and was re-elected over BC Liberal Party candidate Ella Brown.

Following the party's loss in the 2009 election, Lali was one of the "baker's dozen" of MLAs who opposed NDP leader Carole James' continued leadership.{{Cite news |last=Hunter |first=Justine |date=2010-12-03 |title=Baker's Dozen to give ultimatum to NDP leader |language=en-CA |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bakers-dozen-to-give-ultimatum-to-ndp-leader/article1318412/ |access-date=2023-05-12}} The caucus revolt was successful, and James resigned as leader on December 6, 2010.{{cite news |last=Hunter |first=Justine |date=2010-12-06 |title=B.C. NDP leader resigns over party infighting |newspaper=Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bc-ndp-leader-resigns-over-party-infighting/article4081926/ |accessdate=2015-05-27}} On January 7, 2011, Lali announced he would be a candidate in the subsequent leadership election.{{cite news|last1=Fortems|first1=Cam|title=Lali to run for Opposition leader|url=http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/news/city-region/lali-to-run-for-opposition-leader-1.1252375|access-date=20 January 2017|publisher=Kamloops Daily News|date=7 January 2011}} Less than a month later, Lali dropped out of the race, saying that he was unable to come up with the funds necessary to mount a credible campaign.{{cite web|title=B.C. MLA Harry Lali drops out of NDP race|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-mla-harry-lali-drops-out-of-ndp-race-1.1040375|website=CBC.ca|publisher=The Canadian Press|access-date=January 19, 2017}}

In the 2013 election, Lali ran for re-election in his riding of Fraser-Nicola, but suffered a surprising defeat to BC Liberal candidate Jackie Tegart. Lali blamed his defeat on both a poorly-run provincial campaign, and on local NDP voters staying home because he was considered a shoo-in.{{cite news|last1=Potestio|first1=Michael|title=Lali Seeking NDP Nomination|url=http://www.merrittherald.com/lali-seeking-ndp-nomination/|access-date=20 January 2017|date=4 May 2016}}

On May 17, 2016, Lali announced he would run for the NDP nomination for Fraser-Nicola in a bid to reclaim his seat.{{cite news|last1=Roden|first1=Barbara|title=Harry Lali to seek NDP nomination|url=http://www.ash-cache-journal.com/news/379870281.html|access-date=20 January 2017|publisher=Ashcroft Cache Creek Journal|date=26 May 2016}} He was challenged by Aaron Sam, a Lower Nicola Indian Band chief. NDP leader John Horgan preferred Sam and tried to persuade Lali to drop out in his favour, but Lali declined.{{Cite web |last=Palmer |first=Vaughn |date=2017-01-24 |title=Former NDP cabinet minister Lali gears up for nomination battle |url=https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/vaughn-palmer-former-ndp-cabinet-minister-lali-gears-up-for-nomination-battle |access-date=2023-05-12 |website=Vancouver Sun |language=en-CA}}{{Cite web |last=Palmer |first=Vaughn |date=2017-03-03 |title=Lali won't step aside for leader's choice in Fraser-Nicola |url=https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/vaughn-palmer-lali-wont-step-aside-for-leaders-choice-in-fraser-nicola |access-date=2023-05-12 |website=Vancouver Sun |language=en-CA}} Lali won the nomination but lost his re-match with Tegart.

On May 11, 2023, Lali announced he was joining BC United (formerly the BC Liberals), saying that the NDP had become focused on urban interests to the exclusion of rural issues.{{Cite web |date=2023-05-11 |title=Switching sides: Former NDP MLA joins BC United party |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9692518/former-ndp-mla-harry-lali-joins-bc-united/ |access-date=2023-05-12 |website=Global News |language=en-CA}}