Barry Penner on June 29, 2011.John Lehmann/The Globe and Mail
The BC Liberal government is losing another MLA.
Four-term MLA Barry Penner, who quit cabinet last August, announced Thursday he will be returning to law practice in the new year and will give up his seat in Chilliwack-Hope at that time.
Premier Christy Clark still hasn't called a by-election to fill the vacancy created when Liberal Iain Black resigned last month as MLA for the riding of Port Moody-Coquitlam.
Mr. Penner, in a statement in the legislature, noted that much has changed since he first took his seat in the legislature in 1996.
"I didn't even have an email address, much less a Blackberry – or two Blackberries."
Mr. Penner served as environment minister in the Campbell government and scored headlines for his marmot-wrangling efforts, as well as for marking Earth Hour with a candlelight dinner that led to a scorching experience for his cat Ranger.
It was the assignment as Attorney-General, however, that convinced him to step down from cabinet. Last summer, when Premier Christy Clark was still considering a fall election, Mr. Penner was pushed to give a commitment to run again. His summer holidays with his young family had been derailed by ministry business, and Mr. Penner concluded that the work-life balance wasn't working for him.
Justine Hunter