Vancouver Island MLA ousted from BC NDP, Premier David Eby says

Adam Walker won the Parksville-Qualicum riding with 42 per cent of the vote. (BC NDP)

VICTORIA, B.C. -

A New Democrat member of the British Columbia legislature representing a riding on Vancouver Island for the past four years has been turfed from the government's ranks, Premier David Eby announced on Sunday.

The news came in a brief statement outlining the ouster of Adam Walker, but offered few specifics.

The statement from Eby's office said his dismissal came about as the result of an internal investigation sparked by an unspecified human resources complaint.

“This thorough investigation found misconduct on the part of MLA Walker,” it said of the legislature member who had served as the parliamentary secretary for the sustainable economy up until Sunday.

“As a result, Mr. Walker will no longer be a member of the government caucus and he will no longer be a parliamentary secretary.”

The statement said no further details would be released in light of the fact that the issue at hand is a human resources matter.

Walker, who did not immediately respond to request for comment on his removal from caucus, was elected to the provincial legislature in 2020 to represent the riding of Parksville-Qualicum.

A brief biography on the B.C. government website said he spent two years serving as a town councillor for Qualicum Beach before making the move to provincial politics. It says he has also owned and operated a local technology business for 15 years and runs a small farm alongside his wife.

His departure from the NDP caucus leaves the governing party with 56 seats in the provincial legislature.

The BC United Party holds 26, while the BC Green Party and Conservative Party of British Columbia hold two a piece. The latter party saw its seat count double after Bruce Banman, the MLA for Abbotsford South, defected from BC United last week.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2023.