By The Canadian Press

B.C.’s only independent MLA cites health issues in decision not to run again

Jan 11, 2017 | 10:06 AM

DELTA, B.C. — British Columbia’s only sitting independent politician says she won’t be running for re-election in May.

Vicki Huntington, who is not affiliated with any political party, says she has decided to step away from politics to focus on her health.

Huntington was first elected as the M-L-A for Delta South in 2009, the first independent to win a seat in six decades.

She would clinch the spot again in 2013, making history as the province’s first independent politician to win re-election as an independent.

Her stint in provincial politics followed five terms as a municipal councillor in Delta.

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Huntington says she expects the B.C. Liberals to win in her riding, unless the NDP or the Greens run a star candidate.

Reflecting on her time in office, she says the province needs to loosen its grip on politicians to allow them to better represent their constituents.

“This province is a dinosaur when it comes to political reform,” Huntington says, highlighting the role of party whips in enforcing party discipline.

“The whips are real. The whips watch what their members are saying and how they say it and whether they’re speaking to the party policy. The government especially expects its caucus to toe the party line.”

British Columbians will head to the polls on May 9.