Nanaimo’s federal representative, Sheila Malcolmson, is giving up her job to try to win the NDP’s provincial seat being vacated by Leonard Krog, who will be sworn in as the city’s new mayor next month.
This is an important election in B.C. because of the razor-thin lead held by the governing NDP, supported by the B.C. Green Party.
Malcolmson announced her decision Wednesday in Nanaimo with Premier John Horgan, who said: “I am excited to have a candidate of this calibre step forward for the NDP nomination.”
Malcolmson will resign her federal seat to run provincially. “So it’s all-in for me.” She still has to be nominated as the riding’s NDP candidate.
“I’m inspired by the ability to implement results on the ground right now for people in Nanaimo, both on the environmental and coastal-protection side and on the affordable-housing crisis that we face. That was the big draw for accepting the premier’s invitation,” she said. “These are crises that can’t wait a year for the next federal election.”
Nanaimo’s tent city has made visible the homelessness and affordable-housing crisis, she said.
Horgan approached Malcolmson in early July, she said.
“I was excited about going into the next federal election campaign with [federal leader] Jagmeet Singh.”
Singh said in a tweet: “Sheila has worked so hard to get results for people on issues like housing & protecting our coast — I wish her all the best as she continues this amazing work.”
The provincial byelection date has not been announced, although Horgan has said it will be before February’s budget debate.
It is also not known when Krog, who is on unpaid leave, will resign his seat.
Meanwhile, Malcolmson said: “I am expecting that I will be a full-time member of Parliament until the House of Commons rises at Christmastime.”
Given that a federal election is planned for October 2019, she does not expect a byelection will be called for her seat.
She is hoping the federal Speaker’s office will take on constituency duties after she steps down.
Malcolmson is the NDP’s federal critic for women’s equality. She has represented Nanaimo-Ladysmith since 2015, after serving four terms in local government. She served on the Islands Trust council, becoming its full-time chairwoman in 2008.
Prior to serving as an elected official, Malcolmson earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental and resource studies from Trent University in Peterborough, Ont.
She worked in the field running regulatory reviews of energy utilities. Malcolmson was also an operations manager for a B.C. ocean kayak and cycle touring company on Gabriola Island in the 1990s, and founded a small-business management firm.
Malcolmson hopes to continue efforts to preserve and clean up B.C.’s coast. The Gabriola Island resident has urged the federal government to take action on abandoned vessels that litter the coast, and opposed the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
Krog’s seat is up for grabs after he won the race for mayor in Saturday’s municipal elections. He said Malcolmson is dedicated, committed and hard-working.
With 41 seats, the NDP government is propped up by support from the B.C. Green Party, which has three seats. The B.C. Liberals have 42 seats. One Independent MLA serves as speaker.
B.C. Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver has said the party will field a candidate in Nanaimo.
B.C. Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson said he is anticipating an “energetic byelection campaign.” Nominating Malcolmson shows that the NDP “take Nanaimo for granted — putting local taxpayers on the hook for potentially not one but two byelections at a cost of well over a million dollars,” he said.
“In the upcoming byelection, the people of Nanaimo have an opportunity to elect an MLA who will be a true champion for the community’s needs and priorities.”
