The political landscape on Vancouver Island was shaken up over the weekend, with Premier David Eby ejecting a New Democrat member from the British Columbia legislature’s government ranks. Adam Walker, the representative for the riding of Parksville-Qualicum for the past four years, was on the receiving end of this unexpected move.
Eby’s office released a cryptic statement explaining Walker’s dismissal. It reveals that Walker’s ousting was the repercussions of an internal inquiry that originated from an unspecified human resources complaint. The investigation uncovered “misconduct on the part of MLA Walker,” leading to his ejection from the government caucus and his role as the parliamentary secretary for the sustainable economy.
Further details about the issue remain undisclosed due to its nature as a human resources matter. According to Eby’s office, Walker will no longer be part of the government caucus, nor will he continue in his capacity as a parliamentary secretary.
Walker, yet to break his silence on being removed from the caucus, successfully ran for legislative office in 2020. Prior to joining the provincial political sphere, Walker served as a town councillor for Qualicum Beach for two years. As listed in his brief biography on the B.C. government website, Walker used to own a local technology business and currently manages a small farm with his wife.
Walker’s expulsion from the NDP caucus brings the governing body down from 57 to 56 seats in the provincial legislature.
Meanwhile, the BC United Party maintains a stronghold of 26 seats. The BC Green Party and the Conservative Party of British Columbia manage an equal footing with two seats each. A recent political development saw Bruce Banman, the MLA for Abbotsford South, moving over from BC United to the Conservative Party, effectively doubling their seat count.
