MLA Feature: Dr. Margaret MacDiarmid

BC Liberal Women’s Network – Web Questions

Question 1 – What inspires you to be an agent of change in B.C.?

I find this question hard to answer.  I am hard-wired to want to help and care for people.  That is why I became a family doctor.  Over time I became very interested in health policy, learned more about government, met politicians and civil servants and worked with them and came to the conclusion that the best way for me to have influence in government policy was to get elected.  So I did.  I think that it’s the people of B.C. themselves that inspire me.  We already live in one of the very best places in the world, but there is room for improvement, for building on what we already have and it is a great privilege to be part of that work.

Question 2 – What have been the highlights of your career?

In my medical career the highlights were the times I felt I truly made a difference in one of my patient’s lives.   Sometimes that was in my office, sometimes in their homes and sometimes in the ER working with a team of health providers.  But making a significant difference brought joy to the job.

As an MLA there have been many highs (and a few lows).  Winning a nomination battle was a really great moment.  I can still remember the second that I found out.  It was an intensely good moment, in part because I had been diagnosed with breast cancer less than a year earlier and was still in recovery mode.  It was fantastic to know that I could campaign hard and be successful. On a day to day basis as an MLA there are many great moments and opportunities.   Working with people from all walks of life, working to find common ground with people and groups where the common ground is not that easy to find and getting to the solutions- extremely rewarding!  Also I have met people who are simply extraordinary, and who I would never had met had I not entered politics.   I have been amazed and touched by the spirit of volunteerism I’ve experienced as a candidate and an MLA.  Talented people are extremely generous with their time and energy, and without that I would never have been elected.

Question 3 – How have women in your life and your network inspired you to pursue public office?

I can’t identify a woman who inspired me to do this.  But for inspiration in life I need look no further than my mother.  She is, of course, the best mother imaginable and she is a fantastic role model.  From her I learned how important it is to contribute to my community.  She is generous, optimistic, practical, thoughtful, and she clearly makes the world a better place to be.  I would not say she encouraged me to become a politician, but she did encourage me to use my abilities, do my best and look outside myself to others- and see how I could help.  And then do it!

As for my closest friends, I’d say that I became a politician with their support but if I had taken their advice, I would not have run.