A rare premier makes a rare departure on his own terms

Premier John Horgan was deep into announcing his pending departure from office when he reflected on the unusual circumstances of his retirement.

“It is rare for a political leader to have the opportunity to say, `I think it's time for someone else,' without it being a less comfortable moment,” he reminded reporters on Tuesday. “So the timing was right.”

Yes, rare. In modern times, most B.C. premiers have left office at the hands of the voters or under a cloud of controversy.

Horgan is leaving on his own terms, with a sustained approval rating that has made him one of the most popular premiers in the country through five years in office.

He loves being premier. Until recently, he would say that he leaped out of bed every day to get on with the job.

His reasons for leaving can be reduced to a single sentence: “I wish I had more energy to do more.”

He repeated that in a variety of ways Tuesday, lest anyone doubt that the recent toll on his health fully accounted for his decision to not seek another term in 2024.

His departure ends one of B.C.'s more unlikely political sagas: the man who didn't want the job, but became one of our most popular premiers.

When the NDP leadership opened up following the party's surprise defeat in the 2013 election, Horgan, who had finished third in an earlier leadership race, took himself out of the running.

“We need to make space for the next generation,” he declared.

When no next-gen candidates came forward to lead the demoralized Opposition, Horgan was persuaded to take the job that no one (including him, for a time) wanted. He hated the job in Opposition and it showed. Indeed, his recent displays of impatience and bad temper, hearkening back to his Opposition days, were a sure sign that the job of premier was starting to wear on him. Then came his breakthrough in the 2017 election.

The B.C. Liberals lost their legislative majority, and Horgan was transported into the premier's office in a power-sharing agreement with the Greens.

Horgan will stay on as party leader until a new leader is selected. He has asked B.C. NDP president Aaron Sumexheltza to set a date in the fall for an NDP leadership vote. Horgan will stay on as MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca until the next election, thus avoiding a byelection.

The strategy allows Horgan to bow out as premier while he is still riding high in opinion polls — he's ranked as the third-most popular premier in Canada — and gives a new leader plenty of time to build political capital before facing B.C. Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon in the October 2024 election.

Former B.C. Green party leader Andrew Weaver, who struck a deal with Horgan to bring down the B.C. Liberals under Christy Clark in 2017, said Horgan showed “enormous integrity” by stepping down two years out from the provincial election.

“I have enormous respect for him doing it the way he did,” Weaver said. “He's ethical, he's full of integrity, and he is honest. For the first time in a long time, we have a premier who lets British Columbians know exactly how he feels about various issues rather than saying what he knows they want to hear.”

Kahlon said in a statement on Twitter: “Today is a tough day. I'm both sad and happy for my friend.” He thanked the premier for his service to British Columbians and said the party was lucky to have had Horgan at the helm during the pandemic, wide-scale flooding, and wildfires.

Former finance minister Carole James summed up her friend and confidant's leadership using a sports analogy, a nod to Horgan's love of lacrosse.

“He really is the best coach,” she said. “He knows how to bring a team together.”

As Opposition leader, Horgan would often take the bus home from the legislature to Langford, James said. When people would ask why, Horgan said it gave him a chance to talk and connect with people.

At a time when the world is more divided than ever, James said, “John has this unique ability to cross over ... to be able to reach out to folks from all walks of life.”

Falcon thanked Horgan for his 17-year contribution to B.C. as an MLA.

“While we may not have always agreed on the politics, we both share a love for this province and a commitment to helping make B.C. a better place for all who call it home,” Falcon wrote on Twitter. “Live long and prosper, John,” Falcon wrote, a reference to Horgan's love of Star Trek.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also took to Twitter to thank Horgan for his years of public service.

“From our taking ambitious climate action, to making child care more affordable, to the leadership you provided keeping people safe through COVID-19, I always appreciated working with you,” Trudeau said. “Wishing you all the best, John.”

The news comes two weeks before Horgan is set to welcome the country's provincial and territorial leaders to Victoria at the Council of the Federation annual meeting.

Horgan, who has chaired the federation since September, said his decision to step down will not impact his ability to push Trudeau for more federal cash to shore up the crumbling health system.

Horgan fuelled speculation he would not seek a third term after taking full responsibility recently for the now-cancelled plan to replace the Royal B.C. Museum for $789 million.

Horgan was diagnosed with throat cancer in November and took a step back from some of his duties while he completed 35 radiation sessions.

He continued to participate in cabinet meetings virtually over the course of his treatment. Solicitor general Mike Farnworth took on the role of deputy premier and attended in-person events on the premier's behalf.

It was his second bout with cancer, after undergoing surgery and treatment for bladder cancer in 2008 when he was in his 40s.

Cresting on 70 per cent approval ratings in the summer of 2020, Horgan called a snap election for October of that year, a gamble that angered some but ultimately paid off with a 57-seat majority, the largest NDP victory in B.C. history. Horgan is the first NDP leader to serve two terms as premier.

There were signs Horgan was becoming exhausted with political life as he increasingly spoke off the cuff and deviated from prepared talking notes.

On April 25, he dropped an “F-bomb” in the legislature during a heated exchange with Liberal MLAs.

He immediately apologized, saying if his mother were still alive she would have washed his mouth out with Irish Spring soap.

Horgan has represented Langford-Juan de Fuca since 2005 and has been NDP leader since 2014.