Randall Garrison said Thursday that he’s hoping that he not does not have to serve out his full term as MP and will consider retiring in April, depending on when the next federal election occurs.
After a press conference with federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Sooke Mayor Maja Tait, who is the next NDP candidate for the riding of Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke, Garrison said that he will be “taking a look at what’s happening” in April 2024 to decide whether he’ll serve out the rest of his term as MP for Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke.
If it looks like the next federal election is two years away, he might not stay on, he said.
The next federal election has to take place on or before Oct. 20 in 2025, according to the Canada Elections Act.
Garrison, who turned 73 Wednesday, had announced in April that he would not seek re-election.
At the press conference, which focused mainly on the rising cost of living, Tait said that she’s ready to go to Ottawa to fight for change and to make life more tolerable for people.
“It’s very nerve-wracking,” she said, “But I’m grateful to be here and I will do my best.”
Tait joined Singh on a portion of his South Island tour on Thursday, visiting the Esquimalt farmer’s market as well as the Esquimalt Family Military Resource Centre before she was officially elected for the nomination at the Victoria Scottish Community Centre later in the night.
Earlier in the day, Singh had already introduced Tait as the new candidate for Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke and referred to Randall Garrison as the “previous MP” in a press conference, calling her a “star candidate.”
Tait, who has a career in property management, entered politics as a Sooke councillor in 2008 and is in her fifth term of serving in local government.
She began considering entering the federal stage last December, when she was in Ottawa for federal advocacy and Garrison invited her to observe question period and some committees.
“We had a real frank talk about whether this was something I was interested in doing,” she said, adding that the two of them had a friendly relationship from their shared years in politics.
In a previous interview with the Times Colonist, Tait said that federal politics will be quite different from what she’s used to.
“As the mayor, you want to be a free agent, you get along with everyone, you advocate hard to everybody,” she said, adding that in Sooke, you’re elected more for your personal brand rather than which political party you’re affiliated with.”
But she said she’s looking forward to stepping onto a bigger stage.
“I’m zooming out of me as a person, and I’ll belong to something that’s bigger than me, where smarter people are putting together a policy that’s endorsed by membership,” she said.
If an election is called, Tait will take an unpaid leave of absence to focus on the campaign, she said. Regardless of whether she’ll be elected federally, Tait said that this will be her last term as mayor of Sooke.
“There’s excellent people in our community that I think would do fantastic work, much better than me,” she said. “I think community needs fresh ideas with fresh people in the seat.
“I’d rather walk out and not be voted off the island,” she said, laughing.
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