Premier John Horgan announced Tuesday that he is stepping down before the next election. He has asked that a new leader be selected to replace him, no later than this fall.
Horgan became NDP leader in 2014, and premier in the election of 2017. He has been, and remains, one of the most well-liked and respected premiers in Canada, due in part to his sunny disposition, his absence of vanity and his willingness to say exactly what is on his mind.
The inevitable question arises, however: Why is he making this announcement now, less than halfway through his current term?
It’s not unheard-of for political leaders to surrender the reins in the run-up to an election. But it is unusual to do so in mid-stride.
The normal progression would be to wait until the last year of the term, in this case 2024. That would permit the premier to complete most of his agenda while still allowing for an orderly transfer of power.
The inescapable conclusion is that this is not wholly a voluntary departure.
As is well known, Horgan has been battling throat cancer since his diagnosis last November. He has since said his doctors have given him a clean bill of health.
But he has also spoken about the debilitating effects of his treatment. After 35 radiation sessions, his appetite and voice disappeared temporarily, he suffered projectile vomiting, and lost 30 pounds.
Moreover, this is not Horgan’s first brush with cancer. He was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2008, and although he was pronounced cured, a second run-in must have taken its toll. He was diagnosed with COVID in the spring, and he said when he announced that he was stepping down that he no longer has the energy he once had.
Other factors may have played a part. While B.C. originally scored high marks in dealing with the COVID outbreak, that has all changed.
A recent Angus Reid poll found that 70 per cent of British Columbians now think the provincial government is doing a poor job managing health care.
While that’s in line with other provinces — the national disapproval rating is 72 per cent — it suggests that a daunting task lies ahead.
Likewise, there are huge challenges to face in other fields, unaffordable housing, high inflation rates and soaring overdose deaths among them.
There was also the recent uproar over plans to replace the Royal B.C. Museum. While Horgan eventually abandoned the scheme and did the honourable thing by accepting full responsibility, he was clearly dismayed at losing what he may have considered a legacy project.
In the light of these reverses, who could blame him for feeling that a fresh set of eyes were needed?
Yet we shouldn’t lose sight of the many contributions Horgan made. He almost single-handedly united his caucus after the disappointing and unexpected election loss in 2013.
No small achievement in this. NDP caucuses are notoriously hard to manage, as former premier Mike Harcourt can testify.
Under Horgan’s leadership, welfare and disability rates were raised, campaign finance reform was passed, and a mainly scandal-free government took shape.
As well, not long after his election as premier, Horgan took the difficult decision to complete B.C. Hydro’s Site C dam. Many in the party disagreed, some vigorously.
Yet Horgan deserves credit for seeing that abandoning a project that had already consumed billions, and would cost still more to reverse-engineer, might not sit well with taxpayers.
Perhaps his biggest contribution, though, was that he did not let power go to his head. He could make fun of himself and he could admit failures. As he prepares to leave office, he remains the same decent and likable man who was first elected as an MLA almost two decades ago.
It is by no means clear who his successor may be. There’s speculation that Attorney General David Eby might throw his hat in the ring. Others are no doubt pondering their potential support.
But whoever comes next, they’ll have big shoes to fill. That is perhaps Horgan’s enduring gift to the province.
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