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Victoria — One of the B.C. NDP’s top officials is resigning less than a year before the provincial election.

Michael Gardiner, the NDP’s provincial director, is leaving to take a private sector job at the end of June, said party president Craig Keating. But he’ll remain as a special advisor for the May 2017 provincial election.

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“It is inopportune news, there’s no doubt about that,” said Keating. “But Michael has this opportunity he’s been working on for a long time, and he has to devote him full attention to it. People have lives, and I recognize that.”

Gardiner helped organize John Horgan’s bid for NDP leader, and assumed the job of party director after Horgan’s victory in 2014. He’ll be replaced on an interim basis by deputy director Raj Sihota, said Keating.

Keating said the departure was in no way related to the party’s election readiness, and that Gardiner was not fired or forced out of the job. He credited Gardiner for modernizing the party “to a level of election readiness we haven’t seen before.” The party is hosting an election campaign workshop in Kamloops later this month as well.

Horgan has also hired Bob Dewar, the executive director of the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union, to join his leader’s office in September in what he described as a senior position. Dewar had previously served as chief of staff to former Manitoba premier Gary Doer. Horgan has said it’s not decided if Dewar will run the NDP’s election campaign in 2017.

rshaw@postmedia.com

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