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Rumour falls flat

It was one of those rumours that made sense.

It was one of those rumours that made sense.

The notion that Delta South MLA Vicki Huntington would retire from provincial politics when her second term is up next spring had been making the rounds lately largely because all the puzzle pieces seemed to fit together. Well, all of them except that critical bit, the one where the incumbent actually wants to call it a career.

The thinking was that Huntington has accomplished something no other provincial politician has ever done, which would allow her to leave the legislature with her legacy intact. She made history in 2009 by becoming the first independent to be elected in more than half a century and then topped that four years later when she was the first independent to ever get re-elected.

Serving two terms also means she'll get a pension, which would come in handy now that she's at an age when many people retire. As well, there was talk Huntington might return to municipal politics given Lois Jackson will soon allow someone else to sit in the mayor's chair.

The last component of the retirement rumour, one that's typically shopped by her critics, is often phrased as a rhetorical question: How many years are you going to bang your head against a wall before you give up? This refers to the inherent challenges faced by an independent operating in a two-party legislature (sorry Andrew Weaver).

Independence allows Huntington to speak her mind and shine a light on issues that might otherwise remain in the shadows, but it's also limiting. Her efforts to get legislation approved, including bringing long overdue electoral reform to Victoria, struggle to get the requisite support, which has to create a certain level of frustration. Regardless of any shortcomings, it appears the situation has evolved here in Delta South to the satisfaction of both incumbent and electorate. Elected for the first time as a rebuke of the Liberal government, the rhetorical question last time around went something like: How long can voters stay mad? We now know the answer is at least two terms, although that overlooks the fact the public has warmed to the idea of an independent and Huntington has grown into the role.

Given all that, I guess the question for 2017 is: Why stop now?