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Trent Wotherspoon is stepping down from his job as interim NDP leader to consider running for the permanent leadership.

Previously, Wotherspoon has repeatedly said he had no interest in running for the permanent leadership, a position being chosen by party members in May 2018.

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On Tuesday he changed his tune.

“I’d like to (resign) to allow me to give some consideration to running for leader. This is a decision that I don’t take lightly, and I think it’s only appropriate if I was to be giving some consideration here, and wanting to reach out, to step back from this role,” he said, adding it is a “different place and time for me and my family and our party”.

On May 18th, when the legislative session wrapped up, Wotherspoon said — after much prodding from reporters — that he would not be seeking the NDP leadership.

Asked about that statement on Tuesday, Wotherspoon stood by his previous comments.

“I responded on the last day of session that I wasn’t running, and I wasn’t. And in fact, I’m not even making an announcement that I’m running here today,” he said, later adding that at the time, he “certainly was not planning to seek the leadership.”