Libby Davies: Reflections on a Life in Politics

Libby Davies has a long and storied history working in East Vancouver politics and community organizing. Her history as a strong community activist for Vancouver began over forty years ago. She and her late partner, Bruce Eriksen, were key figures in the formation of the Downtown Eastside Residents' Association (DERA) in 1973. In 10 years of community organizing, Libby developed her strong grassroots approach to working with people and diverse communities. In 1982, Libby was elected to Vancouver City Council and served 5 consecutive terms. She became involved in every community issue; from protecting community services to developing affordable housing, fighting for parks and working for the elimination of poverty. From 1994 to 1997, Libby worked with the Hospital Employees' Union (HEU) serving in the role of Ombudsperson for Human Rights, Complaints Investigator, and Coordinator of Human Resources. Libby was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Vancouver East in 1997. She was re-elected in November 2000, June 2004, January 2006, October 2008, and most recently in May 2011. Libby was also the Official Opposition Spokesperson for Health and the Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Health from May 2011 until January 2015. She was Deputy Leader of the federal NDP from 2007-2015. Libby also served as the NDP House Leader from 2003 to March 2011. After serving 6 terms, and 18 years, as the Member of Parliament for Vancouver East, Libby did not run in the 2015 general federal election. Libby is in conversation with Am Johal, Director of SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement and local writer and editor Jackie Wong, as they talk about her political and community organizing work over forty years in East Vancouver.