National

BC United's Michael Lee, once a leadership candidate, won't seek re-election

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 11 Jul, 2024 12:06 PM

British Columbia's Opposition BC United is losing another elected member just ahead of the province's fall election.

Michael Lee, a former party leadership candidate and the Vancouver-Langara representative in the legislature for the past seven years, says he's heading back to the private sector and will not seek re-election on Oct. 19.

I have an important announcement to share. Please read my letter below. #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/vZD3WXLu9G
— Michael Lee (@MichaelLeeBC) July 11, 2024

Lee says in a statement on social media he will take a job in October as the chief strategy officer at UrbanLogiq, an artificial-intelligence company.

Lee, who served as Opposition critic for the attorney general, transportation, and Indigenous relations, says he has great respect for BC United Leader Kevin Falcon and is grateful for their friendship.

BC United announced today community leader Jaime Stein will instead be the party's candidate in Vancouver-Langara.

BC United has lost representatives Elenore Sturko and Lorne Doerkson, and candidate Chris Moore, to John Rustad's B.C. Conservatives, while Ellis Ross and Mike de Jong plan to run for the federal Conservatives in the next general election.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

2 deliberately hit by car in Abbotsford

Two youth in Abbotsford who said they were deliberately hit by a car were taken to hospital with minor injuries. Officers were called to a neighbourhood yesterday and found the teens who said the driver struck them after a disturbance.

2 deliberately hit by car in Abbotsford

RCMP forms team to combat extortion

The RCMP says it has established a national team to help co-ordinate investigations and information sharing about extortion schemes targeting South Asian businesses in B.C., Alberta and Ontario. Mounties say the team is a "nationwide alliance" of police agencies that are all investigating extortion and violent threats, which have been tied to shootings and arson.

RCMP forms team to combat extortion

Falcon says BC United's housing plan includes rent-to-own initiative, drops taxes Victoria

British Columbia's Opposition Leader Kevin Falcon is pitching a housing plan that aims to get more first-time buyers into homes, and it comes just days after Premier David Eby promised to build more affordable rental units for the middle class. Falcon says the BC United's "Fix Housing" plan includes four initiatives to reduce the high cost of housing and increase supply, which he pledges to introduce if his party takes power in this fall's election.

Falcon says BC United's housing plan includes rent-to-own initiative, drops taxes Victoria

Inadequate security led to federal breach that compromised Canadians' info: watchdog

The federal privacy watchdog says government departments lacked adequate protections to prevent a cyberbreach that compromised the sensitive information of tens of thousands of Canadians. In a report tabled today, privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne describes how the lapse at the Canada Revenue Agency and Employment and Social Development Canada in summer 2020 allowed hackers to fraudulently collect payments.

Inadequate security led to federal breach that compromised Canadians' info: watchdog

Business council forecasts slower growth of 0.7 per cent in B.C. ahead of budget

A new report ahead of next week's B.C. budget is forecasting slower economic growth for the province this year. The Business Council of British Columbia says "lacklustre" growth globally, high interest rates and weak private-sector job and investment numbers all add up to "a drag on prosperity" in 2024.

Business council forecasts slower growth of 0.7 per cent in B.C. ahead of budget

Canada-led NATO mission gets boost

The federal government is spending more than $273 million to acquire new military equipment for NATO's Canada-led battle group in Latvia. That includes $227.5 million for a short-range air defence system from Saab Canada Inc., intended to defend against fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and drones, and another $46 million for counter-drone equipment.