Coquitlam-Maillardville MLA downplayed recent reports that suggested she won’t seek re-election and will instead opt for retirement. Thorne responded to those reports by saying she won’t make a decision until September.
Photograph by: file photo , NOW
Coquitlam-Maillardville NDP MLA Diane Thorne hasn't packed it in yet, despite members of her own party who suggested she had.
The long-time MLA said she still hasn't made a decision about her political future, and wants to wait until the fall before doing so. Thorne acknowledged there are a few members of the NDP caucus who are considering retiring from politics, including her.
"That's not news, everybody knows that," she told The NOW, adding, it's a decision made tougher by recent poll results indicating the NDP would cruise to victory in the 2013 election.
On Wednesday, NDP caucus chair Shane Simpson told the media in Victoria that Thorne had actually already announced she wasn't running again.
"I think we have four who are not running again, I believe that's the last number that I heard," he told the Victoria Times Colonist. "Dawn Black isn't running again. I think Diane Thorne has announced she's not running. And then there's a couple of others."
That was news to Thorne, who won't make a decision until September.
In the last few weeks, several Liberal MLAs announced they were leaving politics, including long-time Kamloops MLA Kevin Krueger and most recently Saanich North MLA Murray Coell.
Thorne surmises the interest by the media and political watchers on the future of provincial politicians has become more intense because of the results from polls.
"They may not like you when you're in, but everyone is interested when you're going."
jdeutsch@thenownews.com
