Eby on byelection to fill Horgan, Mark seats: ‘We’ll move quickly’
Posted March 17, 2023 2:15 pm.
Last Updated March 17, 2023 2:17 pm.
British Columbia Premier David Eby says he has a sense of urgency to fill the two NDP-held seats that will be left empty by outgoing MLAs Melanie Mark and John Horgan.
March 31 is the expected end date for both, and although Eby has six months to set a byelection date, it sounds like it could be sooner.
“We’ll move quickly to call a byelection because Juan de Fuca and the East Side of Vancouver need representation in the legislature, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing who will step up,” Eby said Friday.
Horgan has held his Langford-Juan de Fuca riding for 18 years, while Mark has held the Vancouver-Mount Pleasant riding since 2016.
Both announced their departures last month.
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“We’re been certainly very sad to see both Melanie Mark and John Horgan declare their final days in the legislature, and we’ll move quickly, and certainly working with them, ultimately, to ensure that their communities are represented,” Eby said.
Horgan’s departure was not unexpected, as he stepped down as B.C.’s premier last summer following treatment for throat cancer.
Mark announced her departure was, in part, to spend more time with her family, and in a speech at the house eviscerated the culture at the legislature, calling it a “torture chamber,” especially for women and people of colour.
“Filling those shoes, or filling those Doc Martens, in the case of the former premier, will be a challenge,” Eby said.
The next provincial election is slated for October 2024.
