Bonita Zarrillo

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Bonita Zarrillo
MP
Member of Parliament
for Port Moody—Coquitlam
Incumbent
Assumed office
September 20, 2021
Preceded byNelly Shin
Personal details
Born1965/1966 (age 55–56)[1]
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan[1]
Political partyNew Democratic
Residence(s)Coquitlam, British Columbia
ProfessionComputer Programmer, Data Analyst[1]

Bonita Zarrillo is Canadian politician and is the Member of Parliament for Port Moody—Coquitlam elected in the 2021 Canadian federal election. She had previously narrowly lost the riding in 2019 to the Conservative Party's Nelly Shin.[2] Zarrillo is a member of the New Democratic Party. Prior to her election in the House of Commons, she served as a city councillor for Coquitlam City Council.

Coquitlam City Council[]

Zarrillo served three terms on the Coquitlam City Council, first elected in 2013, having served eight years.[3][1][4] Zarrillo's work as a councillor focused on a diverse set of issues, including campaigns to promote anti-vaping and anti cigarette butt causes, as well as gender equity. She had previously shot down the city advisory committee citizen appointment cohort due to only two of the eleven members being women, despite 7 having applied for the position. Zarrillo cited the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women's advisory statement regarding the minimum prequisite 30% of women needed for their voice to be heard.[5] Zarrillo also stated she intended to extend a municipal ban of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, such as Brodifacoum, onto developers following an unanimous motion to ban the use of them on city property.[6]

During her time as a city councillor, Zarrillo worked to bring to light issues of housing affordability and management of public works. She was critical of the proposed developments in Burquitlam, stating that the developments resembled "lifeless" developments in Eastern Canada which caused disconnects between the public and public spaces taken over by entities, highlighting concerns regarding housing affordability.[7] On greenlighting the City Centre Area Plan (CCAP), Zarrillo stated her concerns on the displacement of low income housing and single-family housing pockets and stating that "[we are] not opening up these neighbourhoods to real estate agents."[8]

Zarrillo was the subject of criticism following Zarrillo's decision to leave a city council meeting to attend a National Day of Action Against Anti-Asian Racism rally at Lincoln station. Zarrillo left the meeting without prior notice, which was her second incident in 2021. She stated she wanted to stand up for Coquitlam's Asian community, following a recent report stating the city of Vancouver “Anti-Asian Hate Crime Capital of North America” and a recent incident regarding the racially-motivated harassment of a Chinese-Canadian Coquitlam resident.[9] During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Zarrillo publicly expressed her discomfort with the city council's lack of transparency during city council meetings which were held in a hybrid format. She stated that the format "[changed] the meeting dynamics and doesn't provide for equal access" and that she was "uncomfortable" with several city council members who attended the meeting in-person who were unmasked in their cubicles, raising public health concerns.[10] In a post on Facebook, Zarrillo raised her discomfort with the fact that of the 24 members attending, only two were masked. Zarrillo's husband furthered the comments, stating that the councillors were "anti-maskers." Coquitlam was one of the few cities within Metro Vancouver to have in-person city council meetings during the pandemic.[11] Zarrillo pushed for special notation to indicate which members were attending the meeting in person and which were attending virtually.[12]

Zarrillo gained a reputation as a dissenting voice during her three term tenure as a councilor.[1] Her work on the Coquitlam City Council resulted in a position on the board of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.[13]

Federal politics[]

2019 Election[]

Zarrillo was selected as the New Democratic Party's candidate to replace outgoing MP Fin Donnelly's seat, who had held the seat prior for a decade.[14] Zarrillo announced her campaign for the seat on International Women's Day, and five weeks after winning a second term on the Coquitlam City Council.[15] The final result was a three way split between the Liberal, Conservative, and New Democratic Party.[16] Zarrillo lost to Shin by 153 votes, falling under the 0.01% needed to trigger a judicial recount.[17][18] Zarrillo filed for a recount citing concerns of "administrative mistakes", which was later terminated at Zarrillo's request.[17] She stated that she wanted to "give confidence to the community that every vote had been counted."[18][19] Zarrillo was endorsed by outgoing MP Fin Donnelly, Coquitlam-Maillardville MLA Selina Robinson, Kwikwetlem First Nation Chief Ed Hall, the New Westminster and District Labour Council, and Unifor Local 2000.[20] As she was a sitting city councilmember, she returned to her work following her loss.

2021 Election[]

Zarrillo ran again in the 2021 election in a rematch against Shin, who had defeated her in the 2019 election by 157 votes.[16] The Port Moody-Coquitlam riding was targeted by the three major parties due to its close 2019 result, and New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh visited the riding twice during his national campaign tour.[21][4][14] Zarrillo's campaign for election was endorsed by former MP Fin Donnelly, Amy Lubik of Port Moody City Council, Chris Wilson of the Coquitlam City Council, and Chief Ed Hall of the Kwikwetlem First Nation.[13]

Zarrillo won in her rematch against Shin, with 62.2 percent of voter turnout in the riding, flipping the seat back to the New Democratic Party.[22][23][24] Zarrillo was confirmed to have been elected four days following the election, after mail-in ballots had been counted.[25] She resigned from her city council seat on October 1, 2021. Coquitlam City Council subsequently unanimously voted to file a request to the Minister of Municipal Affairs Josie Osborne to not hold a mandated byelection for her seat, citing concerns as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and that the replacement would only serve an estimated less than eight months on the council.[26]

Policy positions[]

Zarrillo previously was known for her work as an advocate for green jobs and affordable housing.[14] She also focused on investment in transportation infrastructure.[1] During an election debate, Zarrillo stated that municipalities were "desperate" for stable federal funding in regards to transit infrastructure. She criticized the Coquitlam City Council's lack of action in regards to funding transit.[27] Zarrillo praised outgoing MP Fin Donnelly's work in regards to implementing Canada's ban on shark finning and closed containment aquaculture.[27]

Climate[]

She opposes the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project, stating the need for urgent climate action.[28] Zarrillo stated the importance of transitioning away from fossil fuels, and her view that the city of Coquitlam did not need a secondary pipeline running through the city to deliver an additional 900,000 barrels of oil. Zarrillo stated the propsed expansion was "unreasonable and unrealistic based on what the future needs to look like.”[1] As a member of Coquitlam's City Council, she put forth a motion for the city of Coquitlam to apply, joining the neighboring city of Port Moody, to be an intervenor during the National Energy Board hearings regarding the issue. The motion was subsequently unanimously endorsed by the City Council.[29]

Housing[]

Zarrillo's work as a Coquitlam City Coucillor focused on the issues of housing affordability. Zarrillo stated that of the available housing inventory, too much was going towards luxury homebuyers, highlighting the NDP's plan for half a million units of affordable housing as offered by the NDP's housing plan.[1] To alleviate the housing crisis, Zarrillo proposed the construction of purpose-built housing, either through housing cooperatives, or exemptions on the GST to housing developers and potential renovators.[1] She discussed displacement of homeowners as a direct result of a lack of housing affordability and as a visible result of the housing crisis within the local community.[21]

Personal life[]

Zarrillo was born in Saskatoon and graduated from the University of Manitoba with a degree in sociology. Zarrillo travelled around Canada, living in nearly every province,[25] and overseas following her graduation and worked as a computer programmer during her time. She later worked as a data analyst to map consumer behavior for companies such as Walmart. At the age of 48, Zarrillo quit her position as a business analyst after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in order to focus on her treatment and recovery.[25] She moved back to Coquitlam in 2010, and started a business as a jobs recruiter.[1]

Four generations of Zarrillo's family reside within Coquitlam.[3] Zarrillo is a mother of three children.[25]

Electoral history[]

Federal[]

2021 Canadian federal election: Port Moody—Coquitlam
** Preliminary results — Not yet official **
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic Bonita Zarrillo 17,576 36.75 +5.82
Conservative Nelly Shin 15,454 32.32 +1.11
Liberal Will Davis 12,981 27.15 –1.91
People's Desta McPherson 1,695 3.54 +2.02
Marxist–Leninist Roland Verrier 115 0.24 +0.13
Total valid votes 52,091 99.19
Total rejected ballots 428 0.81
Turnout 52,519 62.74 -3.02
Eligible voters 83,715
New Democratic gain from Conservative Swing +5.82
Source: Elections Canada[30]
2019 Canadian federal election: Port Moody—Coquitlam
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Nelly Shin 16,855 31.21 +1.74 $99,557.86
New Democratic Bonita Zarrillo 16,702 30.93 -5.12 $87,431.13
Liberal Sara Badiei 15,695 29.06 -1.83 none listed
Green Bryce Watts 3,873 7.17 +3.74 none listed
People's Jayson Chabot 821 1.52 – $1,508.00
Marxist–Leninist Roland Verrier 57 0.11 -0.05 none listed
Total valid votes/expense limit 54,003 99.34
Total rejected ballots 361 0.66 +0.35
Turnout 54,364 65.76 -3.18
Eligible voters 82,674
Conservative gain from New Democratic Swing +3.43
Source: Elections Canada[31]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Labbé, Stefan. "PROFILE: Bonita Zarrillo | NDP". Tri-City News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  2. ^ Vikander, Tessa (21 September 2021). "NDP's Bonita Zarrillo ousts Conservative incumbent Nelly Shin in Port Moody-Coquitlam". CTV News Vancouver. Bell Media. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  3. ^ a b Moiko, David (13 September 2021). "Port Moody-Coquitlam: Suburbs focused on families and community set for razor-thin re-match". CTV News British Columbia. Bell Media. CTV News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  4. ^ a b Culbert, Lori. "Election 2021: Intense three-way 'nail-biter' in Port Moody-Coquitlam, the closest race in 2019 election". vancouversun. Postmedia Network Inc. Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  5. ^ Granger, Grant. "'Gender inequity' on Coquitlam committee". Tri-City News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  6. ^ Cleugh, Janis. "Coquitlam bans rodenticides on city land". Tri-City News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  7. ^ Granger, Grant. "Big plans for Burquitlam project". Richmond News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  8. ^ Cleugh, Janis. "Coquitlam green-lights plan to add 24,000 more residents to city core". Tri-City News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  9. ^ Cleugh, Janis. "Coquitlam politician criticized for ditching city meeting to go to rally". Tri-City News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  10. ^ Cleugh, Janis. "Public record should show what politicians are Zooming in, Coquitlam councillor says". Tri-City News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  11. ^ Cleugh, Janis. "Coquitlam politician tells council she doesn't 'feel safe' in workplace". Tri-City News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  12. ^ Cleugh, Janis. "Coquitlam politician challenges committee chair on ministerial order". Tri City News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  13. ^ a b Balzer, Kyle. "Profiles: Get to know the Port Moody-Coquitlam 2021 federal election candidates". Tri-City News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  14. ^ a b c Meissner, Dirk. "Close race in 2019 vote faces rematch of candidates in B.C.'s Port Moody-Coquitlam". Lethbridge News Now. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  15. ^ Strandberg, Diane. "Zarrillo to seek MP Donnelly's seat". Tri-City News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  16. ^ a b Cameron, Bruce (17 September 2021). "'Left Coast' and balance of power: NDP's B.C. strength could be key to minority government". Cowichan Valley Citizen. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  17. ^ a b Brown, Scott. "Federal election recount in Port Moody-Coquitlam terminated". vancouversun. PostMedia Network Inc. Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  18. ^ a b Labbé, Stefan. "Shin is in as recount affirms Port Moody-Coquitlam results". Tri-City News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  19. ^ Yoshida-Butryn, Carly (7 November 2019). "Recount terminated in narrowly won riding of Port Moody-Coquitlam". CTV News British Columbia. Bell Media. CTV News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  20. ^ Strandberg, Diane. "Tri-City candidates seek politician, group endorsements". Tri-City News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  21. ^ a b Balzer, Kyle. "NDP's Jagmeet Singh promises to get 'big money out of housing' during second Coquitlam visit". Tri-City News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  22. ^ Balzer, Kyle. "Officially official: Mail-in ballots confirm Tri-City MPs amid 61 per cent voter turnout". Tri-City News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  23. ^ "Port Moody—Coquitlam riding comes down to the wire but NDP takes the seat - BC | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Global Television Network. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  24. ^ Strandberg, Diane. "Mail-in ballots seal NDP candidate Bonita Zarrillo's Port Moody-Coquitlam flip". Tri-City News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  25. ^ a b c d Culbert, Lori. "Federal election: Meet the new photo-finish candidates whose fate came down to mail-in ballots". vancouversun. PostMedia Inc. Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  26. ^ Cleugh, Janis (5 October 2021). "No thanks, Coquitlam council says for byelection". www.tricitynews.com. Tri City News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  27. ^ a b Labbé, Stefan. "Tory candidates a no show in lacklustre climate debate". Tri-City News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  28. ^ Balzer, Kyle. "Election Qs: Where do Port Moody-Coquitlam 2021 candidates stand on the TMX pipeline?". Tri-City News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  29. ^ Warren, Janis. "Pipeline project concerns for Coquitlam". Tri-City News. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  30. ^ "Confirmed candidates — Port Moody—Coquitlam". Elections Canada. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  31. ^ "Official Voting Results". Retrieved 2021-06-21.
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