Port Moody-Coquitlam MP Fin Donnelly has announced his pending retirement just short of a year before the next scheduled federal election, saying there needs to be plenty of time for the riding association to choose a new candidate and for his replacement to build a profile.
“I’ll be active,” promised the veteran New Democrat MP. “The executive will strike a search committee, they’ll start looking for candidates like all parties will openly, and we’ll see good candidates step forward.”
Donnelly, who announced his retirement from politics at a holiday open house for his constituency on Friday but will continue his MP job until the Oct. 21, 2019 election, said he wants to spend more time with his wife, Lynda, and will continue to live in Coquitlam.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a number of months," he said. "It’s a big decision for sure.”
But when pressed, Donnelly said he has some long-term plans that will not only keep him in the area but will allow him to work on his passion for ensuring the Fraser River can support a healthy, wild salmon population.
Donnelly, who swam the Fraser River twice to raise awareness about the need for environmental protection, is working on a proposal to raise $500 million in federal, provincial and philanthropic cash to start a watershed restoration program for the river.
Work could be done by First Nations, non-profit agencies and local stewards. In addition to habitat restoration for salmon, the plan is to do projects to protect land-based endangered species as well.
“I’m working behind the scenes to encourage governments to get involved in a major restoration program of one of the world’s great salmon rivers, both for salmon and the great terrestrial animals, such as caribou and moose,” said Donnelly, who is also the chair and founder of the Rivershed Society of B.C.
SHARK FIN BAN
As fisheries and oceans critic for the NDP, Donnelly has been involved in numerous campaigns to protect ocean species, including introducing a private member’s bill to promote land-based containment for farmed salmon, raising concerns about gillnet fishing on sturgeon and banning the importation of shark fins, among his efforts.
Donnelly tried to get the house to adopt his private members bill to ban shark fins, a delicacy in some countries but devastating to the shark population, however the cause has since been promoted by a Conservative senator and Bill S238 recently passed third reading in the Senate.
It will now move on to the House of Commons for debate and Donnelly will either sponsor it or second it to try to get that legislation approved.
Donnelly’s opposition to changes to veterans benefits, which received support in the house, is an example of work MP’s can do even when they are in opposition, said the long-time MP and former Coquitlam city councillor. He also said he enjoyed the day to day constituency work.
LOCAL OFFICE
Politics can be a tough slog, but Donnelly said it’s been an honour to serve for almost a decade in Parliament, citing a recent experience that shows what a local MP can do.
When a refugee was recently reunited with his wife and daughters after nearly 10 years because of the efforts of the MP’s office, Donnelly said there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
“It was so emotional — you see these rare opportunities where you can make a difference in a person and in a community, it’s uplifting.”
