VANCOUVER -- British Columbia's Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure will not be seeking re-election whenever B.C. voters next go to the polls.
"It is time to move on and take on new challenges," said Claire Trevena, who has served as MLA for North Island for 15 years, in a statement Sunday.
Trevena joins six other members of Premier John Horgan's cabinet who have announced that they will not be running in the next election.
The other ministers who have recently announced they won't seek re-election are Judy Darcy, minister of mental health and addictions; Michelle Mungall, minister of jobs, economic development and competitiveness; Shane Simpson, minister of social development and poverty reduction; Scott Fraser, minister of Indigenous relations and reconciliation; and Doug Donaldson, minister of forests, lands, natural resource operations and rural development.
Back in the spring, Finance Minister Carole James also revealed she would not be running again after she was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
Trevena called serving in Premier John Horgan's cabinet "an extraordinary honour" and thanked her constituency and ministry staff, as well as B.C.'s civil servants, for their help over the years.
Her statement also touted her achievements and the Horgan government's, before ending on a personal note.
"Most of all I thank my best friend, the love of my life, my husband Mike," she said. "Without him, his support, his understanding, his insight and his humour, I would not have even taken the first step in this incredible journey.”
Trevena's decision not to run again comes at a time of widespread speculation about the possibility of a fall election in B.C. The next scheduled election isn't until October 2021, but political observers have suggested that Horgan may be preparing to call for one this fall.
