The Prime Minister of British Columbia has announced that he will not run for a third term, but will remain in office as long as the provincial NDP can hold a leadership convention.
John Horgan confirmed his plans at a press conference in Vancouver on Tuesday afternoon, after a two-day cabinet resignation, where the party discussed everything from climate change to a struggling health care system.
Horgan said his recent attack of throat cancer – which marked the 62-year-old man’s second battle with cancer – left him with less energy than before.
“I am currently cancer-free. My health is good, but my energy is declining over the days,” he said.
This is an evolving story and will be updated. The previous story follows.
The Prime Minister of British Columbia is expected to announce his resignation on Tuesday afternoon, many sources told CTV News.
John Horgan is scheduled to speak at a press conference at 1:30 p.m. in Vancouver, where he has spent the last two days in office. CTV News will broadcast the event live.
Rumors of the prime minister’s possible retirement have been circulating since last week, when he appeared on a CBC radio program and gave an open answer about his political future.
Less than two months earlier, Horgan told CTV News reporter Robert Buffham that he did not rule out the possibility of running for a third term.
“I never imagined I would be where I am today – no one is more surprised than me and my 8th grade teacher at Reynolds High School. And yet I am here. As long as I can make a valuable change, you will continue to do so, “Horgan said on May 5.
The reasons for the prime minister’s resignation and the timing of his resignation are unclear, although his recent clash with cancer – Horgan’s second – may have influenced his decision.
His throat cancer treatment included 35 rounds of radiation. Earlier this year, Horgan suggested he may have returned to work earlier than optimal, saying he was tired.
While the government of the NDP of British Columbia faces significant challenges in terms of accessibility and shortage of family doctors in the province, political observers said there were few indications that the prime minister would be ousted.
A recent study by the Angus Reid Institute found that Horgan is one of the most popular prime ministers in Canada, even with his lowest level of approval in years.
Last week, Horgan took full responsibility for controversy over the replacement of the Royal Museum of British Columbia, which was met with considerable reaction to its $ 789 million price tag, and announced that the government was halting the project.
Experts speculate that the prime minister’s decision could save the next NDP leader from tarnishing the project.
The announcement is “indicative of a leader with a lot of political capital to burn,” David Black, an associate professor of communications and culture at Royal Roads University, told CTV News on Monday.
With files from CTV News Vancouver Bhinder Sajan and Mike Le Couteur, senior political correspondent for CTV News Channel
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