Close X
Monday, November 11, 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. wants unified truck safety system after spate of overpass crashes reveals gaps

B.C. wants unified truck safety system after spate of overpass crashes reveals gaps
British Columbia's transport minister has written to his federal counterpart asking for the closure of road safety gaps he says allow some trucking companies to avoid consequences while operating unsafely across Canada. Rob Fleming's letter on Monday to Pablo Rodriguez comes after a series of incidents involving commercial trucks or their cargo slamming into highway overpasses.  

B.C. wants unified truck safety system after spate of overpass crashes reveals gaps

North Vancouver man in custody after reports of erratic behaviour involving a weapon

North Vancouver man in custody after reports of erratic behaviour involving a weapon
Police in North Vancouver say a man is in custody after someone reported him acting erratically and holding a weapon in the city's central Lonsdale neighbourhood Friday morning. North Vancouver R-C-M-P say the report drew a heavy police response to the area and shut down part of the neighbourhood as an emergency response team was called in to deal with him. 

North Vancouver man in custody after reports of erratic behaviour involving a weapon

Man shot in Coquitlam, B.C., over weekend dies of his injuries

Man shot in Coquitlam, B.C., over weekend dies of his injuries
A man injured in the latest shooting in the Metro Vancouver suburb of Coquitlam has died. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team joined the case after police say the 21-year-old victim shot on Saturday died from his injuries. 

Man shot in Coquitlam, B.C., over weekend dies of his injuries

Insured damage from severe weather exceeded $3.1B in 2023: insurance bureau

Insured damage from severe weather exceeded $3.1B in 2023: insurance bureau
Severe weather and natural disasters caused more than $3 billion in insured damages for the second year in a row in 2023.  The Insurance Bureau of Canada's annual tally is topped by wildfires in the Okanagan and Shuswap areas of B.C., which cost $720 million.   

Insured damage from severe weather exceeded $3.1B in 2023: insurance bureau

Police say dog may have been thrown to its death from downtown Vancouver hotel

Police say dog may have been thrown to its death from downtown Vancouver hotel
Police say a dog that fell to its death in downtown Vancouver may have been deliberately thrown from a window. Vancouver Police say officers responded to a call and found the dead dog in the laneway beside the Molson Hotel at around 2 p.m. on Friday.

Police say dog may have been thrown to its death from downtown Vancouver hotel

Housing market could rebound in 2024

Housing market could rebound in 2024
The Canadian housing market could be in for a rebound in 2024. That is the forecast coming from economists after a year of caution and shifting expectations spurred by rising borrowing costs.  

Housing market could rebound in 2024