Nanaimo-Cowichan MP Jean Crowder has just announced that after 10 years serving as a Member of Parliament, she has decided she will not put her name forward for re-election when the next federal election is called.
"I am very honoured to have been elected to serve the people of Nanaimo-Cowichan, and I’d like to thank my constituents for giving me this opportunity," she said in a statement. "There is still much work to be done in Ottawa, and so this has not been an easy decision, but I am not running again in order to spend more time with my family and the community that I love."
When Crowder was first elected in 2004, the NDP caucus in Ottawa had just 19 members, noted Crowder.
"I’ve had the privilege of being part of a period of historic growth for our party, serving under the leadership of Jack Layton and Tom Mulcair," she said. "I am very proud of the work that our NDP team has done, and I look forward to the day we have an NDP government in Ottawa."
"I will continue to work for my constituents with the energy, enthusiasm and dedication with which I’ve served them these past ten years," she added. "I look forward to electing a New Democrat here in 2015 to continue to work hard for this community."