Shannon Phillips is stepping down as MLA in Lethbridge-West, according to various media reports.
A prominent figure in the Official Opposition, Phillips was first elected in the riding in 2015, and served as the Minister of Environment and Parks from then until 2019 when the New Democratic Party (NDP) was in power.
Phillips won her seat again in 2019 and 2023.
The NDP MLA told the Globe and Mail she will be done as of July 1, citing feeling “worn out by the polarization and disinformation infecting today’s politics.”
“Jesus Christ himself couldn’t have kept me,” she said in an interview with the outlet.
Last month, Alberta’s police watchdog said there wouldn’t be any charges laid against police officers who broke rules when they surveilled Phillips.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) said there were reasonable ground to believe two Lethbridge police officers committed a crime when they did a criminal record check on the MLA, but the case didn’t meet a test to go to court.
The issue began in 2017, when an officer overheard Phillips discussing environmental issues in a coffee shop.
He texted a fellow officer and the two subsequently searched Phillips in police databases and photographed and followed her.
This comes in the midst of significant changes in the NDP, with a leadership race currently underway.
Rachel Notley said earlier this year she would step down from the top spot after a decade at the helm.
Former Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi is considered the favourite to replace her, but doesn’t currently have a seat in the legislature.
Phillips’ departure opens up a spot for Nenshi, should he win the vote, which wraps up on June 22.
A news conference is set for noon Monday, where Phillips will speak more on her decision.
This is a developing story.
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