Close X
Thursday, September 19, 2024
ADVT 
National

NDP MPs Charlie Angus, Carol Hughes, Rachel Blaney opt against seeking re-election

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 04 Apr, 2024 10:34 AM
  • NDP MPs Charlie Angus, Carol Hughes, Rachel Blaney opt against seeking re-election

NDP MPs Carol Hughes and Rachel Blaney have joined Charlie Angus in deciding that they won't run again in the next federal election.

The federal New Democrats delivered the news in a joint announcement, saying all three want more family time after years of dedicated public service.

Angus, a 20-year veteran of Parliament Hill, confirmed his own plans to leave politics earlier Thursday, saying it's time to pass the baton. 

"One political era is ending, and another begins," he said in a statement on Facebook. 

New federal boundary changes also played a role in their decisions. 

Angus's northern Ontario riding of Timmins—James Bay is set to expand, a change Angus says will demand new energy to build relationships with constituents in so many communities.

Hughes, a longtime deputy Speaker who also represents northern Ontario, will see her riding of Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing disappear entirely in the next federal election. 

"I look forward to helping elect that next generation of progressive MPs, but it’s time for me to start planning on spending more time with my family," Hughes said in a statement. 

Blaney, who serves as party whip, said it's time for her to also focus on her family and stay closer to home, describing it as "an incredibly difficult decision to step away from politics."

"It’s been an honour to serve British Columbians over the past nine years, and I’ll continue to fight for them until the next election," she said.

In a statement, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh thanked all three for their years of advocacy and their contributions to the party.

Nearly a quarter of the NDP's caucus have announced they are set to step down, or have done so already. 

Longtime British Columbia MPs Randall Garrison and Richard Cannings have already announced they don't plan to run again. Winnipeg MP Daniel Blaikie quit his seat to work with Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew. 

Despite policy gains through a political pact with the minority Liberal government, the NDP has so far struggled to translate its efforts to establish national pharmacare and dental care plans into public support.

The Conservatives, meanwhile, are eyeing NDP seats in British Columbia and northern Ontario by campaigning on affordability and opposing the federal price on pollution, arguing it is driving up the cost of goods for Canadians. 

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. e-bike company shares evidence on social media after brazen container theft

B.C. e-bike company shares evidence on social media after brazen container theft
Police in Delta say they're investigating a theft of a shipping container that contained thousands of dollars worth of electric bicycles.  Delta Police say a pair of suspects showed up at a warehouse lot on Annacis Island March 19 around 1 a.m. in a semi-trailer, connecting the container to the truck and driving away "within minutes."   

B.C. e-bike company shares evidence on social media after brazen container theft

Darpan 10 with The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Of Canada

Darpan 10 with The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Of Canada
Immigration Minister Marc Miller sheds light on the cap put on international students and the housing crisis. 

Darpan 10 with The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Of Canada

Motion on Israel-Hamas war will have consequences for asylum seekers in Gaza: Miller

Motion on Israel-Hamas war will have consequences for asylum seekers in Gaza: Miller
A  parliamentary motion on the Israel-Hamas war the House of Commons passed Monday could make it harder for people seeking asylum in Canada to get out of Gaza, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Wednesday.  He said it could make the situation worse for a Canadian program that has already been, in his words, a "failure."  

Motion on Israel-Hamas war will have consequences for asylum seekers in Gaza: Miller

One arrested in Vancouver stabbing

One arrested in Vancouver stabbing
Police in Vancouver say one man has been arrested and another has been released from hospital after a stabbing in the city's Yaletown neighbourhood this morning. They say a member of the public called 9-1-1 to report that a man was allegedly chasing people with a knife, and another man had been stabbed.

One arrested in Vancouver stabbing

Former police board member claims Victoria police face 'crisis of integrity'

Former police board member claims Victoria police face 'crisis of integrity'
Paul Schachter told a police board meeting Tuesday that policing in Victoria is facing a "crisis of integrity" as he pointed to concerns set out by a B.C. Supreme Court judge who criticized officers for "intentionally lying" to prosecutors and the court, derailing a major drug investigation. 

Former police board member claims Victoria police face 'crisis of integrity'

B.C. funds project to extract minerals, metals while reducing environmental impacts

B.C. funds project to extract minerals, metals while reducing environmental impacts
The British Columbia government is funding a pilot project that it says offers the mining industry a path to significantly reduce the environmental impacts of extracting critical minerals. A statement from the province says Vancouver-based PH7 Technologies Inc. has developed a "closed-loop" process using chemistry to extract and refine critical minerals and help the industry transition to renewable energy.

B.C. funds project to extract minerals, metals while reducing environmental impacts