Key Takeaways:
- John Horgan declared his resignation as British Columbia’s premier on Tuesday afternoon. Later this year, he has asked his party in power, the NDP, to hold a leadership convention.
- Horgan announced in January that he has finished the 35 cycles of radiotherapy that were part of his most recent cancer treatment.
After serving as premier of British Columbia for five years, John Horgan announced on Tuesday afternoon. He has requested that his ruling party, the NDP, organize a leadership convention later this year.
Horgan said he wanted to address the rumors over his future as premier in a press conference while in Vancouver for a cabinet retreat.
The statement coincides with Horgan’s current cancer treatment and a contentious plan involving the Royal BC Museum.
Despite being cancer-free and in good health, Horgan claimed his energy “flags as the days go by.”
He claimed that recent chats with his wife also caused him to consider his goals.
“Because of my recent struggle with cancer, there has been a lot of conjecture regarding my plans. I want to restate the rumors so we can return to the concerns facing British Columbians, which are what matter, “Horgan remarked.
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He says he has requested the B.C. NDP president to work with the party’s governing council to choose a date for a leadership convention in the fall and that he will continue to serve as premier for the time being.
Being the premier of British Columbia has been the greatest delight, and I’ll continue to hold that position tomorrow, the day after that, and the day after that.
Horgan received praise from Justin Trudeau, the prime minister, for his years of public service.
“I always enjoyed working with you, whether on our ambitious climate action plans, our efforts to make child care more affordable, or the leadership you demonstrated in ensuring public safety through COVID-19. Best wishes for you, John, “wrote Trudeau.
Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the federal NDP, also complimented Horgan and noted that the British Columbian leader “has always worked for common people, putting their needs first.”
Singh added that working with him and referring to him as a friend is an honor.
Horgan said he intends to hold the federal government accountable for resolving the nation’s public health crisis, specifically the Canada Health Transfer that is given to provinces and territories for healthcare. The Council of the Federation is a body comprised of the premiers from Canada’s 13 provinces and territories.
The council will meet again on July 11 and 12 in Victoria.
During the news conference on Tuesday, Horgan said, “The prime minister agreed to me that his staff would be there to have that dialogue and make progress. I am going to hold him to that.
Horgan, 62, became the B.C. NDP’s leader in 2014 and has been the province’s premier since 2017.
He announced that he would begin radiation therapy in November after discovering a malignant tumor in his throat. The prime minister had successfully treated bladder cancer in his 40s in the past.
Horgan said in January that he had finished his most current cancer treatment, which involved 35 rounds of radiotherapy.
Horgan stated he would not rule out running for a third term in power as early as May. Additionally, he had a COVID-19 positive test back in the spring.
Horgan declared last week that the province would “go back to the drawing board” in response to a backlash over the Royal BC Museum.
Thousands of documentation supporting the province’s plan to replace the museum for over $800 million were already made public.
Since then, the proposal has been shelved, but not without harming his approval.
On June 22, Horgan said, “We believed we had it right; clearly, we did not.
When asked on Tuesday if his declaration regarding the museum had anything to do with his potential run for office, Horgan said he only took the choice to prevent the initiative from becoming a “laugh line.”
Since I did not want the museum to become a political football, I believe that was the appropriate path. British Columbians appear to agree with me; he added that my motive for the museum had nothing to do with my personal views.
Source: CTV News
