A fixture on the Vancouver political scene for nearly 40 years is retiring next year.
Vancouver East NDP MP Libby Davies announced Dec. 12 that she would not seek a seventh term in office. The party’s deputy leader since 2007 also said she would not endorse anyone in the race to succeed her, but would remain active in the party.
“It’s obviously mixed feelings, I love being member of parliament, I consider it a huge honour to be the representative for the people of East Vancouver,” said Davies, a 61-year-old born in Aldershot, England. “I feel it’s time for a new voice, time for me to move on.”
She said NDP Opposition leader Tom Mulcair greeted her notice with “sadness.”
“We’ve worked together closely, even before he was leader, we were both deputy leaders with Jack Layton. He was very supportive and I’ll do everything I can between now and the election to keep working hard as an MP and be part of the NDP team.”
The next federal election is scheduled for Oct. 19, 2015, but Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservatives could call for a vote sooner.
Davies was first elected to Vancouver park board in 1980 and made the leap to city council in 1982. She was re-elected four more times and unsuccessfully ran as COPE’s mayoral candidate in the 1993 election, won by the NPA’s Philip Owen. In 1997, she staged a comeback to run federally.
“When I first got involved in politics there were very few women,” Davies said. “Darlene Marzari was on Vancouver city council, my political mentors were all men, Harry Rankin, Bruce Yorke, my partner Bruce Eriksen [who died in 1997], it’s where I learned my politics in the streets of the Downtown Eastside,” Davies said. “For women in politics there’s still barriers and things to deal with. I’ve always encouraged women to run, I consider it an important thing to do.”
She said she is most proud of lobbying for affordable housing and homelessness.
“Whether it’s the drug crisis in the Downtown Eastside, or missing and murdered women, I took on issues that weren’t mainstream, and that needed to be brought forward and needed to have action. I’m proud of that work.”
Davies, the first openly lesbian MP, said women make great politicians because “we’re good multitaskers, we focus on issues, we focus on getting things done, so I want to see more women in politics.”
Davies said she doesn’t have any plans for retirement, but will remain active.
“It’s in my blood, I’m a political animal. I’ll still be working on the issues I care about one way or another.”
According to the Canadian Taxpayers’ Federation, Davies is set to receive a $98,280 annual pension and could earn as much as $3,662,587 through age 90.
