Peter Julian is dropping his role as NDP House leader, suggesting the B.C. MP is gearing up for a leadership bid.

NDP Justice Critic Murray Rankin will take the reins as the new NDP House Leader.

Julian told reporters Wednesday that he’d announced at the party’s weekly caucus meeting that he’s stepping down and will spend some time talking with Canadians as he considers a possible leadership bid.

But Julian also said he hasn’t decided for sure yet if a run is in the cards, and said there’s not a pressing deadline for him to decide.

“That will mean lots of conversations — hundreds of conversations in the coming period,” he said. “I know how important our work in Parliament is, as well, of course I believe it’s important to have a full-time House leader that is focused on parliamentary work.”

Julian made the announcement on the anniversary of the 2015 election.

“This is the one-year anniversary of the government. I think a lot of Canadians are disappointed in how the first year has gone. There was a commitment to real change and we haven’t seen that.”

“I think a lot of people are disappointed.”

Julian was careful to describe bread and butter NDP issues and didn’t offer much on what a Julian campaign would look like.

“We’re seeing appalling poverty in First Nations,” he said. “Climate change. The lack of affordability of housing. The cuts in the health care escalator will cost provinces and the healthcare system. There are a lot of challenges out there and I think Canadians want to see a better Canada.”

Dropping the role as house leader, one of the few NDP jobs with perks, Julian is saying good by to an extra $16,800 a year.

NDP MPs Nathan Cullen and Richard Cannings broke the news Julian was stepping down early Wednesday on twitter.

Breaking news – @MPJulian stepping down as house leader for NDP. Thx for all your amazing work in the House Peter! #cdnpoli #NDP — Nathan Cullen (@nathancullen) October 19, 2016

.@MPJulian stepping down as NDP House Leader. Thank you for your work as the best parliamentary tactician in Canada! — Richard Cannings (@CanningsNDP) October 19, 2016

The longtime NDP MP routinely makes the usual strategists’ shortlists as a potential and likely contender.

Julian is fluently bilingual and won his New Westminster-Burnaby seat five elections in a row. He was a founding member of the left-leaning citizens’ group the Council of Canadians, and a former NDP National Policy Coordinator. He has previously held the party’s energy, trade and finance critic portfolios.

While the Conservative leadership race is burgeoning with candidates and activity, the NDP race, which will settled next October, still hasn’t really started. So far no MPs have officially declared intentions to run following the party’s stunning electoral crash one year ago today. Big names in the party, including Megan Leslie, Paul Dewar and Nathan Cullen, have backed out.

The one dipper who has expressed serious interest and generated a good deal of attention so far has been Ontario NDP MPP Jagmeet Singh. But even he told iPolitics in September that it would still be a while before the race would really pick up and candidates would start to announce bids.

Julian said there’s no rush because “there’s a year to go.”

“We’ve got a year to have the conversations that need to happen…there are other people who are interested, no doubt.”