Veteran NDP MLA Maurine Karagianis says she’s retiring from provincial politics, leaving party leader John Horgan without one of his top lieutenants for next year’s election, but also opening the door for what she says is internal party renewal.
Karagianis, the party’s whip and critic for women and early childhood development, said she won’t run in the May 2017 election, capping a 12-year, three-term career in provincial politics.
“Any political party needs renewal,” Karagianis told the Vancouver Sun. “There’s a natural kind of rhythm to moving on and letting new voices and new ideas come into the party.
“This will be a very competitive election coming up and it’s very possible John Horgan will be the next premier of British Columbia, with some hard work, and he needs new energy and ideas as well to go into potential government over the next four years.”
Karagianis has been one of Horgan’s strongest allies, and a key adviser since he became leader in 2014. Her riding of Esquimalt-Royal Roads borders his, and the two are close friends.
“It’s a very tough choice to decide to leave,” Karagianis said.“Yes, it’s very tempting that once again we could be very close to forming government. I have been conflicted right up until this day. I’m pretty sure I’ll have some days where its like: ‘Damn, I think I made the wrong decision.’ But I have not taken it lightly, and really mulled it over seriously the last six months.”
Karagianis said her decision doesn’t reflect on Horgan or the party’s chances of defeating the governing B.C. Liberals. Instead, she said at the age of 66, she wants to spend more time with her four children and eight grandchildren, as well as develop her new hobby of beekeeping.
Horgan and Premier Christy Clark have given their respective MLAs until the end of summer to decide whether they are running for re-election. Other NDP MLAs not running include Kathy Corrigan, Jane Shin, Robin Austin, Bill Routley and Norm Macdonald. Liberal MLAs who won’t run again include Bill Bennett, Don McRae, Moira Stilwell and Pat Pimm.
B.C.’s political parties are gearing up for the election in eight months. The Liberals have lined up much of the campaign team from their 2013 victory and the party is out-fundraising its opponents.
The NDP’s provincial director quit in June, and Horgan hired a top union official from Manitoba to serve as his chief of staff and who is also expected to play a key role in the campaign.
Karagianis didn’t rule out returning to local politics in her hometown of Esquimalt, where she previously served on the township council.
“It’s tempting to consider running for local government again and getting Esquimalt running again,” she said. “Those things are tempting, certainly.”
Horgan said he would miss Karagianis’s “wit, compassion and commitment to her community.”
