VICTORIA — Just hours after Kevin Falcon announced his departure from politics Wednesday, Premier Christy Clark promised to soon unveil the inner circle of cabinet members she will take into the next election.

Speaking at an afternoon news conference, Clark said she had sounded out every member of her cabinet about their political plans, and that she expects more to announce their departures in the days to come.

Clark would not say who will be leaving in addition to Falcon, though the speculation is that Education Minister George Abbott, Minister of Children and Family Development Mary McNeil and former cabinet minister John Les will all announce their retirements as early as Thursday.

To help combat the perception of a mass exodus, the party is also expected on Thursday morning to issue a list of nomination meetings that have been scheduled in the first half of September for 11 returning Liberal MLAs, including John Yap, Bill Bennett and cabinet minister Margaret MacDiarmid.

On Wednesday, Clark said she wanted to leave retirement announcements to individual members, but suggested all must come quickly because she plans to take the wraps off her new cabinet by next week.

“I’m going to be renewing the cabinet as a whole,” she said.

“That cabinet is a cabinet that is ready to take on the task over the next eight months, and into the election, of making sure that we are assuring the future for B.C. families, creating jobs all across the province and making it possible for our kids and our grandkids to take advantage of the kinds of opportunities that we have.”

So far, two of Clark’s B.C. Liberal MLAs have resigned since she took over as leader — Barry Penner and Iain Black — and another seven have declared they plan not to run in the next election.

Those include former cabinet ministers Murray Coell, Kevin Krueger and now Falcon.

Take a look at which Liberals have said they will not seek re-election, and which plan to return in 2013 here

It is not uncommon for several government MLAs to retire before an election, especially when the government is facing a tough fight, as the down-in-the-polls BC Liberals are now.

In advance of the 2001 election, 15 incumbent NDP MLAs, about 40 per cent of the then government caucus, chose to retire rather than face the electorate.

Fifteen Social Credit MLAs retired in advance of the 1991 election, which spelled the end of their days as a governing party.

On Wednesday, Falcon said his decision to leave was both a personal and a practical one, explaining he and his wife are expecting a second child in February.

“After almost 12 years in public life, I wish to return to the private sector in a yet-to-be-determined role,” Falcon said, adding he is hoping to find a proper balance between his family and work lives.

Falcon also gave up his role as Clark’s key lieutenant, resigning his position as both deputy premier and minister of finance.