Former Liberal cabinet minister Rich Coleman to retire from politics
Credit to Author: Nick Eagland| Date: Sat, 29 Feb 2020 19:52:45 +0000
Former Liberal cabinet minister Rich Coleman says he’s retiring from politics and won’t run for re-election in 2021.
The MLA for Langley East made the announcement Saturday morning and said that while he’ll be leaving politics, he intends to continue working and will remain in the public eye. Coleman was first elected in 1996 and went on to hold various cabinet roles, including minister of housing, energy and mines, and public safety as well as solicitor general.
He served as deputy premier from 2012 to 2017 and was the B.C. Liberal interim leader during the party’s last leadership contest. Before his entrance into politics, Coleman ran a real estate management and consulting company, and was an RCMP member and security specialist.
News of Coleman’s retirement was first reported Saturday in a Langley Advance Times article. He did not immediately return requests for an interview.
Coleman, 66, told the paper that his decision to retire was “gut-wrenching” but a move he started to seriously consider after a friend told him he was “at the very edge of having stayed too long.” He made up his mind after speaking about it with his wife Michele.
Coleman told the paper it was a privilege to serve those who voted for him.
“They gave me the most enriching opportunity anybody could ask for,” Coleman said.
“I hope when they look back on me, that they’ll look at me and say, well, he did what he thought was the best for the community and people he served.”
In a statement, B.C. Liberals Leader Andrew Wilkinson thanked Coleman for his 24 years in provincial politics.
“Among many achievements as a cabinet minister, he oversaw the delivery of a record number of new housing units for vulnerable British Columbians, stickhandled the softwood lumber file through challenging times, and laid the foundation for an LNG industry that will support British Columbia’s prosperity for generations to come — helping to improve the lives of people all over B.C.,” Wilkinson wrote.
“Nearly a quarter-century in public life requires significant personal sacrifices. In addition to recognizing Rich for his years of service to the people of Fort Langley-Aldergrove, Langley East, and all of British Columbia, we thank his wife Michele, and their children and grandchildren, for generously sharing Rich with our team.”
Coleman said he decided to make the announcement on Feb. 29 to coincide with the anniversary of his first nomination on the same date in 1996.
The announcement comes five days after the beginning of inquiry hearings led by commissioner Austin Cullen into money laundering. Reports commissioned by the NDP have indicated worsened under the B.C. Liberals’ watch between 2009 and 2015.
Earlier this week, Attorney General David Eby said former Liberal cabinet ministers should be called to the witness stand, including Coleman, former finance minister Mike de Jong and former Premier Christy Clark.
Coleman has previously said he looks forward to testifying.
With files from Vaughn Palmer and Rob Shaw
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