Laurel Collins

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Laurel Collins
File:Laurel Collins in the House of Commons.jpg
Collins in 2021
Member of Parliament
for Victoria
In office
October 21, 2019 – March 23, 2025
Preceded byMurray Rankin
Succeeded byWill Greaves
Victoria City Councillor
In office
October 20, 2018 – November 4, 2019
Personal details
Born (1984-05-07) May 7, 1984 (age 42)
PartyNew Democratic Party
SpouseJames McNish[1]
ChildrenAlora McNish Collins
Residence(s)Victoria, British Columbia

Laurel Collins (born May 7, 1984) is a Canadian politician who was elected to represent the riding of Victoria in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2019 Canadian federal election.[2] Prior to her election in the House of Commons, she was a city councillor for Victoria City Council. Prior to losing her seat in the 2025 Canadian federal election, she was the NDP Critic for the Environment and Climate Change and the NDP Deputy Caucus Chair.[3]

Background

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Collins was born in Kispiox in northern British Columbia, one of three children. Her parents, school teachers, separated when she was a baby, and she moved around the province, attending elementary school on Salt Spring Island, Alert Bay, and in Port Hardy. She went to high school in Sussex, New Brunswick and did her undergraduate degree at the University of King’s College and Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.[4] She did a master's degree in Human Security and Peacebuilding at Royal Roads University.[2]

Career

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Collins worked at Victoria Women in Need, running programs for women who have experienced abuse. She co-founded and co-chaired Divest Victoria, a non-profit organization that advocates for cities to take their money out of fossil fuels and put them into environmentally responsible investments. While researching climate migration and displacement, she worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Northern Uganda helping to create durable solutions for internally displaced persons in the aftermath of deadly conflict.[5]

From 2014 to 2019, Collins taught courses at the University of Victoria, including courses in Social Inequality, Social Justice Studies, Political Sociology, and the Sociology of Genders.[2] In 2015, she co-published a book, Women, Adult Education, and Leadership in Canada.[6] And, in 2017, she won a Victoria Community Leadership Award in Sustainability and Community Building.[7]

In October 2018, Collins was elected as a city councillor for Victoria City Council with the electoral organization Together Victoria.[8] She would resign from this position a year later, after her election to the House of Commons in late October 2019.[9] The byelection following her departure was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic until December 2020, where it eventually resulted in the by-election of Stephen Andrew.[10][11]

Collins was re-elected in the 2021 federal election.

She was the NDP Critic for the Environment and Climate Change and the Deputy Critic for Families, Children, and Social Development.[12]

In the 2025 Canadian federal election, she was unseated by Liberal candidate Will Greaves.[13]

Electoral record

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2025 Canadian federal election: Victoria
** Preliminary results — Not yet official **
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Will Greaves 41,100 54.28 +27.00
New Democratic Laurel Collins 18,864 24.91 –19.02
Conservative Angus Ross 12,868 17.00 +3.28
Green Michael Doherty 2,331 3.08 –8.12
People's David Mohr 278 0.37 –2.73
Rhinoceros Cody Fraser 108 0.14 N/A
Independent Steve Filipovic 83 0.11 N/A
Christian Heritage Mary Moreau 83 0.11 N/A
Total valid votes/expense limit
Total rejected ballots
Turnout 75,715 74.72
Eligible voters 101,326
Liberal gain from New Democratic Swing +23.01
Source: Elections Canada[14][15]
2021 Canadian federal election: Victoria
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic Laurel Collins 29,301 43.9 +10.7 $97,858.71
Liberal Nikki Macdonald 18,194 27.3 +5.0 $97,566.80
Conservative Hannah Hodson 9,152 13.7 +1.1 $18,401.29
Green Nick Loughton 7,472 11.2 -18.7 $93,634.92
People's John Randal Phipps 2,065 3.1 +1.8 $7,982.12
Communist Janis Zroback 273 0.4 +0.2 $0.00
Animal Protection Jordan Reichert 243 0.4 - $2,364.23
Total valid votes/expense limit 66,748 $126,387.28
Total rejected ballots 468
Turnout 67,216
Eligible voters 99,889
New Democratic hold Swing +7.85
Source: Elections Canada[16]
2019 Canadian federal election: Victoria
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic Laurel Collins 23,765 33.2 -9.1 $114,384.10
Green Racelle Kooy 21,383 29.9 -3.0 $78,891.28
Liberal Nikki Macdonald 15,952 22.3 +10.5 $83,095.70
Conservative Richard Caron 9,038 12.6 +0.8 $41,312.21
People's Alyson Culbert 920 1.3 - $5,286.41
Animal Protection Jordan Reichert 221 0.3 0.0 $2,270.91
Communist Robert Duncan 113 0.2 -
Independent David Shebib 111 0.2 -
Veterans Coalition Keith Rosenberg 46 0.1 -
Total valid votes/expense limit 71,549 99.3   $121,316.37
Total rejected ballots 475 0.7
Turnout 72,024 76.1
Eligible voters 94,627
New Democratic hold Swing -6.10
Source: Elections Canada[17][18]

References

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