Former cabinet minister Melanie Mark stepping down as MLA

FORMER cabinet minister, Melanie Mark, announced on Wednesday in the legislature on Wednesday that she is stepping down as MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant.

Mark, an Indigenous MLA, had resigned from cabinet and gone on medical leave last September for personal and systemic reasons.

“This place felt like a torture chamber,” she said. “I will not miss the character assassination.”

She later tweeted: “While I am stepping back from politics, my will to see the pride and dignity restored for the DTES remains stronger than ever. Know that I will always be your ally, and I promise to keep paddling for justice, reconciliation and a BC that works for everyone.”

Mark will officially resign at the end of March.

BC NDP President Aaron Sumexheltza said in a statement: “On behalf of the BC NDP and its members, I share my deep gratitude to Melanie Mark for her years of service to her community and her constituency as the MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant.

“When Melanie was elected in 2016, she was the first First Nations woman to serve in the BC legislature. In 2017, she became the first First Nations woman cabinet minister. Her contributions to our province are great, and while we wish her well on her next journey, we will miss her terribly.

“It is essential that we continue Melanie’s legacy in government. The BC NDP is committed to recruiting and electing Indigenous candidates to serve in the legislature.”