Niki Sharma

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific_prefix = The Honourable

| name = Niki Sharma

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|KC|MLABC|size=100%}}

| image= Niki Sharma, BC NDP candidate for Vancouver-Hastings (54004752208) (cropped).jpg

| office = Deputy Premier of British Columbia

| premier = David Eby

| term_start = November 18, 2024

| term_end =

| predecessor = Mike Farnworth

| successor =

| office1 = Attorney General of British Columbia

| premier1 = David Eby

| term_start1 = December 7, 2022

| term_end1 =

| predecessor1 = Murray Rankin

| successor1 =

| office2 = Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development and Non-Profits of British Columbia

| premier2 = John Horgan
David Eby

| term_start2 = November 26, 2020

| term_end2 = December 7, 2022

| predecessor2 = Position established

| successor2 = Megan Dykeman

| assembly3 = British Columbia Legislative

| constituency_AM3 = Vancouver-Hastings

| term_start3 = October 24, 2020

| term_end3 =

|predecessor3 = Shane Simpson

|successor3 =

|party = New Democratic

|otherparty = Vision Vancouver (municipal)

|birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|34|2014|10|15}}

|birth_place = Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

|residence = Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

|alma_mater = University of Alberta

|profession = Lawyer

}}

Niki Sharma {{post-nominals|country=CAN|KC|MLABC}} (born {{birth based on age as of date|34|2014|10|15|noage=1}}) is a Canadian politician and lawyer, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2020 British Columbia general election. She represents the electoral district of Vancouver-Hastings as a member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party (BC NDP)Charlie Smith, [https://www.straight.com/news/bc-ndp-extends-footprint-over-vancouver-racking-up-huge-gains-since-gordon-campbell-led-bc "B.C. NDP extends footprint over Vancouver, racking up huge gains since Gordon Campbell led B.C. Liberals"]. The Georgia Straight, October 25, 2020. and serves as Deputy Premier and Attorney General of British Columbia.{{Cite web |title=B.C. Premier David Eby unveils new cabinet with Niki Sharma, Katrine Conroy and Ravi Kahlon in top posts |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/politics/bc-premier-david-eby-new-cabinet |access-date=2022-12-07 |newspaper=Vancouver Sun |language=en-CA}}{{Cite web |last=Dickson |first=Courtney |last2=DeRosa |first2=Katie |date=2024-11-18 |title=27 cabinet ministers sworn in as B.C.'s new NDP government takes power |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-ndp-cabinet-swearing-in-2024-1.7386565 |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=CBC News}}

Early life and career

Born in Lethbridge, Alberta,{{Cite web |title=Meet Vision Vancouver park board candidate Niki Sharma |url=https://www.vancouverobserver.com/politics/2011/11/15/meet-vision-vancouver-park-board-candidate-niki-sharma.html |access-date=2022-12-12 |date=2011-11-16 |publisher=Vancouver Observer |first=Jenny |last=Uechi|language=en-CA}} Sharma grew up in Sparwood, British Columbia, with her three sisters.{{cite web |title=MLA: Hon. Niki Sharma |url=https://www.leg.bc.ca/learn-about-us/members/42nd-Parliament/Sharma-Niki |website=Legislative Assembly of British Columbia |access-date=2022-12-12}}{{cite web |date=December 8, 2022 |title=Sparwood's Niki Sharma named B.C.'s Attorney General |url=https://www.e-know.ca/regions/elk-valley/sparwood/sparwoods-niki-sharma-named-b-c-s-attorney-general/ |website=e-know.ca (East Kootenay News Online Weekly) |access-date=2022-12-12}} Her parents immigrated from India; her father Pal ran a small business in Sparwood, while her mother Rose, who is a botanist by trade, ran for municipal council three times without being elected.

After graduating from the University of Alberta Faculty of Law,{{cite web |last=DeRosa |first=Katie |date=December 9, 2022 |title=Niki Sharma will draw on lessons learned as a young girl in Sparwood in new role as B.C.'s Attorney General |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/niki-sharma-will-draw-on-lessons-learned-a-young-girl-in-sparwood-in-her-new-role-as-b-c-s-attorney-general |website=Vancouver Sun |access-date=2022-12-12}} she joined Vancouver law firm Donovan & Company in 2005, specializing in aboriginal law.{{Cite web |title=Park board chair Niki Sharma seeks Vision Vancouver nomination for council |url=https://www.straight.com/news/595626/park-board-chair-niki-sharma-seeks-vision-vancouver-nomination-council |access-date=2022-12-12 |date=2014-02-26 |publisher=The Georgia Straight |first=Stephen |last=Hui|language=en-CA}} Prior to her election to the legislature, Sharma served as vice-chair of the board of directors for Vancity since 2016,Charlie Smith, [https://www.straight.com/finance/vancity-postpones-election-to-its-board-of-directors-and-plans-virtual-annual-general "Vancity postpones election to its board of directors and plans "virtual" annual general meeting"]. The Georgia Straight, April 6, 2020. and Senior Oil and Gas Campaigner{{cite press release |last=Cleaveland |first=Virginia |date=July 7, 2020 |title=Stand.earth welcomes influential staff, board members to its organization |url=https://www.stand.earth/latest/standearth-welcomes-influential-staff-board-members-its-organization |agency=Stand.earth |access-date=2020-12-04}} for Stand.earth, an environmental organization founded in 2000.Rob Shaw, [https://vancouversun.com/news/politics/b-c-ndps-top-staffer-to-fight-lawyer-backed-by-mlas-for-vancouver-hastings-nomination "B.C. NDP's top staffer set to fight lawyer backed by MLAs for Vancouver-Hastings nomination"]. Vancouver Sun, September 9, 2020.

Politics

She ran as a Vision Vancouver candidate in the 2011 Vancouver municipal election and was elected a commissioner of the Vancouver Park Board, at one point serving as chair of the board.{{Cite web |title=Former park board chair Niki Sharma delivers stirring speech against racism after winning award in Surrey |url=https://www.straight.com/news/1218326/former-park-board-chair-niki-sharma-delivers-stirring-speech-against-racism-after |access-date=2022-12-12 |date=2019-03-24 |publisher=The Georgia Straight |first=Charlie |last=Smith |language=en-CA}} She then ran under the Vision banner for Vancouver City Council in the 2014 municipal election, but was unsuccessful.{{Cite web |title=Vision candidate Niki Sharma strives to make history as first South Asian woman on city council |url=https://www.vancouverobserver.com/news/vision-candidate-niki-sharma-strives-make-history-first-south-asian-woman-city-council |access-date=2022-12-12 |date=2014-10-15 |publisher=Vancouver Observer |first=Jenny |last=Uechi|language=en-CA}}

With incumbent Vancouver-Hastings Member of the Legislative Assembly Shane Simpson declining to run in the 2020 provincial election, Sharma was named the BC NDP candidate for the riding,{{Cite news |title=B.C. NDP's top staffer set to fight lawyer backed by MLAs for Vancouver-Hastings nomination |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/politics/b-c-ndps-top-staffer-to-fight-lawyer-backed-by-mlas-for-vancouver-hastings-nomination |access-date=2022-12-12 |date=2020-09-08 |first=Rob |last=Shaw |newspaper=Vancouver Sun |language=en-CA}}{{Cite web |title=BC NDP candidates announced following nomination contests |url=https://www.bcndp.ca/releases/bc-ndp-candidates-announced-following-nomination-contests |access-date=2022-12-12 |date=2020-09-24 |publisher=British Columbia New Democratic Party |language=en-CA}} and won the seat with 60.6 per cent of the vote.{{Cite news |title=B.C. election 2020: Vancouver-Hastings results |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7335880/bc-election-2020-vancouver-hastings/ |access-date=2022-12-12 |date=2020-10-24 |first1=Richard |last1=Zussman |first2=Simon |last2=Little |publisher=Global News |language=en-CA}} On November 26, 2020, Sharma was named Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development and Non-Profits by Premier John Horgan.{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-cabinet-announcement-1.5816947 |title=New faces join B.C.'s new cabinet, while stalwarts stay on in key roles |publisher=CBC News |first1=Bethany |last1=Lindsay |date=2020-11-26 |accessdate=2022-12-12 }}

On December 7, 2022, she was appointed by Premier David Eby as Attorney General of British Columbia, and therefore, automatically became a King's Counsel. She became the first South Asian Canadian woman to serve in that cabinet post.

In 2023, the bereavement counselling group Moms Stop the Harm wrote to Niki Sharma requesting a forensic audit into the recovery industry due to an untracked number of deaths and number of other recent abuses occurring at their sites.{{cite web |last1=Moms Stop The Harm |title=Moms Stop the Harm Call for Forensic Audit into Private Recovery Industry, Ties to BC United |date=23 November 2023 |url=https://themainlander.com/2023/11/23/moms-stop-the-harm-call-for-forensic-audit-into-private-recovery-industry-ties-to-bc-united/ |publisher=The Mainlander}}{{cite web |title=Moms Stop the Harm demands probe into B.C. funding of private drug recovery programs |date=23 November 2023 |url=https://bc.ctvnews.ca/moms-stop-the-harm-demands-probe-into-b-c-funding-of-private-drug-recovery-programs-1.6658732 |publisher=CTV News}}

In 2024, Attorney General Sharma and the BC NDP unsuccessfully tried to appeal an injunction against Bill 34, The Restricting Public Consumption Act; notably, their team provided no evidence on how the injunction could be causing harm.{{cite web |title=Denial of Appeal in BC court of appeal: Full ruling |url=https://assets.nationbuilder.com/pivotlegal/pages/1698/attachments/original/1709677735/BCCA_denying_BC%E2%80%99s_application_for_leave_to_appeal_and_request_for_a_stay_of_the_injunction_on_Bill_34.pdf?1709677735}}{{Cite web |last=Ball |first=David P. |date=2024-03-02 |title=B.C. top court upholds pause on law restricting public drug use |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-public-drug-consumption-law-injunction-pause-appeal-rejected-1.7124864 |access-date=2024-11-20 |website=CBC News}}

Electoral record

References

Category:21st-century Canadian women politicians

Category:British Columbia New Democratic Party MLAs

Category:Women MLAs in British Columbia

Category:Politicians from Lethbridge

Category:Politicians from Vancouver

Category:Attorneys general of British Columbia

Category:Canadian King's Counsel

Category:University of Alberta Faculty of Law alumni

Category:Canadian people of Indian descent

Category:Canadian women lawyers

Category:Living people

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia