NDP MP Randall Garrison announces he will not seek re-election after a long political career

OTTAWA— NDP MP for Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke, Randall Garrison, announced today that he will not seek re-election in the next federal election after over a decade in federal politics. As an MP Garrison successfully led initiatives to add transgender rights to the Canadian Human Rights Code and the hate crimes section of the Criminal Code, to ban conversion therapy, and to eliminate criminal records for the personal possession of all drugs.

“It has been a privilege to serve my constituents and to work with MPs from across the country to help make Canada a better place for us all,” said Garrison. “As an out and proud member of the 2SLGBTQI+ community, I hope that I have demonstrated that diversity is one of our strengths as a nation and that more diverse parliaments make better laws.”

Locally, Garrison secured better protections for Southern Resident Killer Whales, got federal funding for the clean-up of Esquimalt harbour, and delivered support for the local shipbuilding industry, as well as providing strong advocacy for constituents in their dealings with the federal government.

“It has been, and continues to be, an honour to work with the diverse communities that make up the riding of Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke including the six municipalities, four First Nations, and the large contingent of military families," Garrison said. “I am especially proud to be part of an NDP caucus under the leadership of Jagmeet Singh that has secured important victories for ordinary working Canadians in this minority Parliament including dental care, an Indigenous led housing program, and a commitment to anti-scab legislation.

That’s what you get with an NDP MP, and I know that there are already strong candidates, including the Mayor of Sooke, Maja Tait, and others, who are ready to step forward for the NDP nomination in Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke to carry on this tradition.”

In his time remaining in Parliament, Garrison will continue to work on a number of other initiatives including making coercive and controlling behaviour in intimate partner relationships a criminal offense, removing self-harm as a disciplinary offence from the military code of conduct, and better protecting public safety by securing expansion of community-based bail supervision programs.