B.C. Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Judy Darcy announces the opening of a new Overdose Emergency Response Centre, during a news conference at Vancouver General Hospital in Vancouver, B.C., on Friday December 1, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

B.C. Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Judy Darcy announces the opening of a new Overdose Emergency Response Centre, during a news conference at Vancouver General Hospital in Vancouver, B.C., on Friday December 1, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

B.C.’s 1st mental health and addictions minister won’t be seeking re-election

MLA Judy Darcy is the fifth cabinet minister not intending to run in the next election

Another B.C. NDP cabinet minister has announced they won’t be seeking re-election amid rumours of a possible snap election in the fall.

Mental Health and Addictions Minister Judy Darcy, who represents the New Westminster riding, made the announcement Thursday, Sept. 17.

Darcy took on the role as B.C.’s first-ever addictions minister amid the ongoing opioid crisis, which has seen devastating loss across all corners of the province.

She was first elected as MLA in 2013, following years of human rights advocacy.

Darcy joins four other cabinet ministers who have also confirmed they will be sitting out in any future election: Poverty Reduction Minister Shane Simpson, Forest Minister Doug Donaldson, Jobs Minister Michelle Mungall and Indigenous Relations Minister Scott Fraser.

Finance Minister Carole James also announced in March that she would not be seeking re-election after being diagnosed with Parkison’s disease


@ashwadhwani
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Want to support local journalism? Make a donation here.

BC politics

Be Among The First To Know

Sign up for a free account today, and receive top headlines in your inbox Monday to Saturday.

Sign Up with google Sign Up with facebook

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Reset your password

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

A link has been emailed to you - check your inbox.



Don't have an account? Click here to sign up