Career

Before being elected to provincial office, Hawkins was a registered nurse in general duty, intensive care, management, education and consulting. She held a post-graduate certificate in neuroscience nursing from the Montreal Neurological Hospital. She was recognized as one of the first nurses in Canada to be certified in neuroscience nursing by the Canadian Nurses Association.

Hawkins then earned a law degree from the University of Calgary and set up her own company as a lawyer with an interest in medical-legal issues.

Hawkins was first elected in 1996 and was re-elected in 2001 and 2005. She served as Minister of Health Planning and as Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations.

As Minister of Health Planning, she was responsible for a long-term strategy to train more doctors and nurses in British Columbia. As a result of this planning, British Columbia has added medical school campuses at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George, the University of Victoria, and at University of British Columbia Okanagan in Kelowna.

The British Columbia Liberal government has also expanded the number of nurses being trained around the province.