Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen said today he will not enter the leadership race for the B.C. NDP.
Cullen said before Christmas he would not enter the race, but recently revealed he was reconsidering.
"After careful deliberation over a number of weeks, I've decided this is simply not the time for me to take on the challenge of the B.C. leadership race," Cullen said in a statement.
Cullen cited unfinished commitments to his federal constituents and family responsibilities as the father of infant twins as the key reasons for his decision.
Cullen's twin sons are six months old.
"We're at critical stages in a number of major projects I am working on with the good people of the northwest, and I really believe this is where my energies must continue to be directed," Cullen said.
Examples of projects in progress include work to ban oil tankers from the B.C. coast, the fight for progressive energy alternatives to Enbridge, and the development of a robust regional green economy that includes a sustainable resource sector.
The Skeena-Bulkley Valley riding encompasses a vast area that stretches from the northwest coast to Fort St. James, just east of Prince George.
The B.C. NDP race will be decided on April 17.
