VANCOUVER – Shane Simpson, New Democrat MLA for Vancouver-Hastings has issued the following statement regarding British Columbia’s next provincial election.
“I am announcing today that I will not be seeking re-election as the MLA for Vancouver-Hastings in the next provincial election.
“This decision comes after much deliberation and personal retrospection. I am currently in my sixteenth year as the MLA for Vancouver-Hastings. I’ve had the privilege of being elected four times by the people of this constituency. It has, without a doubt, been one of the truly great honours of my life to serve in this capacity.
“As a lifelong East Vancouver resident, I can think of nothing that compares with this great opportunity that I have been afforded. While there have been many challenges and hurdles over the years, they have paled in comparison to the opportunities and accomplishments.
“My deepest appreciation and thanks to the people of Vancouver-Hastings for affording me this wonderful opportunity and privilege to give back to our community and province as your MLA.
“The true icing on the cake for my political career has been the opportunity to serve in Premier Horgan’s government since 2017 as Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. Having grown up poor in a housing project in the Downtown Eastside, the work of this ministry is very personal to me. Most important have been our efforts to change the culture of a ministry to provide greater support to some of our most vulnerable citizens as they look to build better lives for themselves and their families.
“While there is much more work to do, I trust that I have helped to move those efforts forward in a positive way. I want to thank all the activists and advocates who work in the community on these issues. Your voices have been essential to the progress we have been able to make. I especially want to thank all the staff of SDPR for their commitment to the work. It has been a privilege to work with you on these critical matters.
“I want to thank the many people who have always stood with me over the years, including volunteers, my constituency and legislative staff and those in my ministerial office. Also, all the people who work at the Parliament buildings supporting all our legislators. It is simply a fact that any successes I have had would not have happened without their support and hard work.
“A special thank you to my family for their support. Cate and Shayla have been the foundation for me to be able to do this work as MLA. As those in elected office know, it is most often family that faces the real sacrifices that this job inevitably causes. Your support and love have been immeasurable.
“One of my colleagues who did not run in the 2017 election, when asked why they chose not to seek re-election, said they felt it in their gut that it was the right time to step aside from elected life. I believe it is true that you need to follow your intuition on these matters and mine tells me the time is right for change. I look forward to completing my term as MLA and then enthusiastically support my successor in Vancouver-Hastings to ensure the long tradition of progressive representation is not broken.
“Once again, a heartfelt thank you to all those who have supported me over the past 16 years and to all those, elected and otherwise, that I have had the privilege to work with. Your friendship and camaraderie have meant everything.
“It has truly been and continues to be my greatest honour to serve as the MLA for Vancouver Hastings.”