VANCOUVER – Iain Black, a former B.C. cabinet minister, announced Wednesday he’s taking over as president of the Vancouver Board of Trade, becoming the second Liberal MLA to quit the B.C. government in a week.
Black, who was demoted from the front bench after Clark became premier, said he wants to wrap up constituency work in his riding of Port Moody-Coquitlam before his resignation becomes effective next month.
He starts his new job as chief executive officer in early October.
“I was not looking for change,” Black told reporters as he stood next to Clark in her Vancouver cabinet office.
“It took some convincing to tear me away from a job and a passion of mine that I’ve had since I was a very young boy.”
Black, who was first elected in 2005 in the same riding that Clark vacated when she stepped away from politics, had previously served as minister in the portfolios of labour and small business.
When Clark was elected leader earlier this year, Black was one of several cabinet ministers who were demoted to more junior duties. Black became parliamentary secretary for public transportation.
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Clark said the resignation had nothing to do with pressures she’s put on Liberal MLAs to fill in their nomination papers in advance of a provincial election.
The next race isn’t due until 2013, but she has previously said she may go to the polls earlier.
“This opportunity came up now and he took it. That didn’t have a lot to do with the election cycle,” she said.
During the B.C. Liberals leadership race, Black threw his support to then-contender and current finance minister Kevin Falcon, including attending Falcon’s launch.
Black said he’s looking forward to spending more time with his family and working in a role where he can have a direct impact on job creation in the province. He and his wife, Chris, have three children.
“Therefore, I would think it would be a mistake to take from this any notion that this is about me turning my back on my colleagues, my premier and my government,” he said.
“I believe passionately in the work that has been done over the last ten years and the work that Premier Clark and this government is going to continue to do for the next ten years.”
Last Thursday, longtime MLA Barry Penner quit as attorney general, saying he didn’t plan to run in the next election and wanted to spend more time with his wife and six-month-old daughter.
He will keep his seat in the Fraser Valley, east of Vancouver, until the next election is called, while Solicitor General Shirley Bond will act as attorney general on an interim basis.
Clark said a byelection to replace Black will have to be called within six months of his departure.
She said she doesn’t know how many other MLAs will choose not to run in the next election, but at this point no one else has indicated they are leaving.
Prior to taking public office, Black previously worked as chief executive officer for a software firm specializing in business email technology and several other publicly traded and private B.C. tech companies.
He coaches two youth soccer teams in Coquitlam and serves on the board of directors of Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said Black was first elected in 2009.
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