Close X
Friday, November 22, 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

BC Hydro wants more clean power to help meet demand, clean energy targets

BC Hydro wants more clean power to help meet demand, clean energy targets
BC Hydro is looking for more clean power to add to its grids as electricity demands are expected to increase by 15 per cent in the next six years. The Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation says the Crown power utility has issued its first call in 15 years and is looking to acquire about 3,000 gigawatt hours per year. 

BC Hydro wants more clean power to help meet demand, clean energy targets

Canadian man killed providing aid in Gaza was a military veteran with a young son

Canadian man killed providing aid in Gaza was a military veteran with a young son
A Canadian man killed along with six other aid workers in the Gaza Strip on Monday is a military veteran from Quebec who leaves behind a partner and a one-year-old son. Jacob Flickinger, 33, was one of seven people in a convoy of World Central Kitchen vehicles when it was hit by an Israeli airstrike in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described as a tragic mistake.

Canadian man killed providing aid in Gaza was a military veteran with a young son

Speed limiting devices to become mandatory on heavy B.C. commercial trucks

Speed limiting devices to become mandatory on heavy B.C. commercial trucks
The British Columbia Transportation Ministry says commercial trucks above a certain weight will soon be required to be fitted with technology to limit how fast they travel on provincial roadways.  The ministry says the "speed-limiter devices" will be mandatory on April 5 for commercial trucks weighing more than 11,793 kilograms and if they were built after 1994. 

Speed limiting devices to become mandatory on heavy B.C. commercial trucks

Banff bus fire strands U.K. students on ski trip; no injuries

Banff bus fire strands U.K. students on ski trip; no injuries
Two dozen youth visiting from the United Kingdom were shuttled to safety after their tour bus caught fire on a scenic highway in Banff National Park.  At about 5 p.m. yesterday, R-C-M-P in Lake Louise were called to the fire on the Icefields Parkway.  

Banff bus fire strands U.K. students on ski trip; no injuries

Solo skier dies in avalanche in eastern B.C. Rockies

Solo skier dies in avalanche in eastern B.C. Rockies
A solo skier has been found dead days after an avalanche in eastern British Columbia.  Avalanche Canada says the snow slide happened Friday on Cathedral Mountain in Yoho National Park.

Solo skier dies in avalanche in eastern B.C. Rockies

No tsunami danger to B.C. after earthquake in Taiwan, officials say

No tsunami danger to B.C. after earthquake in Taiwan, officials say
There appears to be no tsunami threat to the Pacific coastal areas of North America following a strong earthquake in Taiwan. The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center says no tsunami is expected in B.C., Alaska, California, Oregon or Washington state.

No tsunami danger to B.C. after earthquake in Taiwan, officials say