Four BC NDP cabinet ministers announce they will not run again

PENTICTON — Four ministers in Premier David Eby's cabinet have said since Monday they will not seek re-election on Saturday, October 24, leaving the New Democrats to defend Saanich South, Richmond-Steveston, Delta North and Vancouver-South Granville without the incumbents.Agriculture and Food Minister Lana Popham posted first, on Monday, a day before Eby asked Lt.-Gov. Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia to dissolve the legislature. Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Minister Kelly Greene and Health Minister Ravi Kahlon followed Tuesday afternoon, hours after the writ. Jobs and Economic Growth Minister Brenda Bailey posted Wednesday morning that she is cancer-free after surgery and still will not run in Vancouver-South Granville.Popham, the MLA for Saanich South since 2009, said after 17 years and five elections she would not seek a sixth term. She was appointed agriculture minister in 2017, the first woman to hold the file, and has called herself the longest-serving agriculture minister in BC history. She also spent two years as minister of tourism, arts, culture and sport."After 17 years as the MLA for Saanich South, I have made the difficult decision not to seek re-election," Popham said in a Monday statement released by the NDP caucus. "I am sad to leave this role, but I am not leaving public life without purpose."She said she would keep working on food security and the Agricultural Land Reserve. CBC's Katie DeRosa flagged the announcement Monday as another sign an election was coming..Popham took Saanich South with 15,338 votes (49.8%) in 2024, going up against Conservative Adam Kubel at 10,003 (32.4%) and Green Ned Taylor at 5,485 (17.8%). Saanich South is considered an NDP stronghold, with the riding going orange in every election since the district was created in 1990..Greene posted a three-page letter to Richmond-Steveston constituents Tuesday. She said serving the riding had been "one of the greatest honours of my life" and that she would not run again.Most of the letter is about her perception of risk on the Fraser River. "I remain deeply concerned about risks posed by the Tilbury LNG shipping channel and have advocated for better safety standards for a decade," she wrote..The provincial government issued an environmental assessment certificate Monday for FortisBC's Tilbury Phase 2 expansion on Tilbury Island in Delta. Ottawa posted a decision statement the same day. Greene had already broken with cabinet in July over the project. Eby said then there was "space for dissent.""This decision to step down was not made lightly," Greene wrote. "My core values remain the same: honesty, integrity, working hard to find real solutions, and the courage to speak up even when it is hard."Richmond-Steveston was the tightest of the four cards in 2024. Greene won 10,332 votes (44.27%) to Conservative Michelle Mollineaux's 9,848 (42.20%), with a margin of only 484..Kahlon posted Tuesday that after "a lot of thought" he would not seek a fourth term in Delta North. Eby moved him to Health on August 14, when Bailey left Finance for cancer treatment. He had already held Housing and Jobs."After three election cycles, I believe this is the right time for the next champion of North Delta to step forward and carry this work on," he wrote..He said his family had made the sacrifices that let him do the work, and that he now wanted to give some of that time back. He also said he would still knock on doors for Eby. "I'm not going anywhere just yet."Kahlon won Delta North in 2024 with 10,988 votes (52.73%) against Conservative Raj Veauli at 8,381 (40.22%). He first took the seat in 2017. Delta North is another NDP stronghold, with the riding voting for the party in every election since 1991. Before politics, Kahlon played field hockey for Canada at the 2000 and 2008 Olympics..Bailey posted a Facebook statement Wednesday and linked it on X. She remains Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth. She is not running in Vancouver-South Granville."After being diagnosed with cancer, I underwent surgery and I am now regaining my strength," she wrote. "I am so happy to say that I am cancer free."She said she was angry when she first learned she had cancer, and that she had to tell the world and "face more ugliness online." She thanked people who were kind. She thanked Eby for the portfolios, and said she was especially proud of work on technology, innovation and life sciences, including bringing Web Summit to Vancouver."And while I'm not back to 100%, I'll be out on the campaign trail helping support my BC NDP team who are offering a real plan to protect people during the severe consequences of Trump's trade war," she wrote..Bailey won Vancouver-South Granville by a wide margin in 2024 with 17,208 votes (64.31%) against Conservative Aron Lageri at 6,678 (24.96%) and Green Adam Hawk at 2,872 (10.73%). She was first elected in Vancouver-False Creek in 2020. That riding has also only voted NDP..Elections BC lists Writ Day as September 22 and final voting day as Saturday, October 24. Advance voting is October 16 to 21. Nominations close October 3 at 1 p.m. Pacific.Eby has not posted a response to the four letters and the NDP has not named replacements.Interim Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson has similarly not named candidates in the four ridings.

Four BC NDP cabinet ministers announce they will not run again

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UPDATE: Eby calls an October 24 election and casts Trump as an 'existential' threat