Race to replace B.C. Premier John Horgan already over?
British Columbia's jobs minister says he will not be throwing his hat into the NDP leadership ring, sparking speculation the race to replace John Horgan as premier may, in essence, be over.
Ravi Kahlon said Wednesday that he won't join the race.
"I will not be seeking the leadership of the B.C. NDP, it's not the right time for my family and I,” Kahlon told journalists Wednesday.
He said his family came to that consensus Tuesday evening and after that he called Attorney General David Eby, who now has Kahlon’s endorsement.
"I am encouraging him to run for the leadership. I think he would make a fantastic premier. He's compassionate, he’s thoughtful, he’s delivered big things for this province already."
Eby is considered a frontrunner, and when asked last week if he’d run, said he'd be having conversations with his loved ones, colleagues and the party about it.
The party hasn’t yet set a date or the rules around the leadership race, so it’s impossible to say if Eby is a shoo-in, according to the former executive director of the NDP, Raj Sihota.
“At the end of the day, it is a vote of the members and you have to have the organizational strength of the members,” she told CTV News.
Sihota added support from sitting politicians is also important and that it “sounds like David Eby has a lot of support from caucus."
Sihota said that a divisive and drawn out leadership race can be distracting for a party.
So far, no one has officially entered the race, and it’s unclear if the Kahlon announcement will deter others from joining. Kahlon also spoke of the importance of being unified.
"My hope is from this, that we get unity that we get ready to take take some really important issues on," Kahlon added.
Horgan announced last week that he plans to make way for a new leader, but said he wouldn't step down until the party chose his successor.
He said his "health is good, but (his) energy flags" since his latest cancer bout. The 62-year-old had a previous battle with bladder cancer in 2008 and was diagnosed with cancer again in November after a lump was discovered in his throat.
Following the announcement, speculation began about who might be filling his shoes.
Kahlon was one of the possibilities, and told CTV News last week, "I've got some family, friends and supporters engagement to do" before making a decision.
On Wednesday, he said he'd back David Eby, if the attorney general decides to run.
Also a possibility is Municipal Affairs Minister Nathan Cullen, who repeated advice given to him by the late federal NDP leader Jack Layton, "never say never.”
Other members of the party may also come forward. An expert told CTV News that these leadership races are good opportunities to get ideas to the public, even if the person running doesn't actually win.
Any cabinet minister who runs has to resign their portfolio.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.