A former Liberal MLA has announced he will run for the Chilliwack school board byelection in 2025. 

Laurie Throness made the announcement Dec. 17, although the details of the impending byelection has yet to be called by an elections officer. It was triggered with the resignation of school trustee Heather Maahs, who is now the MLA for Chilliwack North. 

Throness had endorsed Maahs in the final days of the provincial election, and his press release states he intends to provide the board with the same style of politics she brought to the table. 

He said Maahs was a "moderate socially-conservative board member ... providing a much-needed perspective to the left-leaning majority on the board.

"I think it's important that Heather's seat be filled with another moderate social conservative. I hope to continue providing that balance," he said. 

His emailed statement also takes aim at the school district and includes a bullet list of items from its current Framework for Enhanced Learning, which is one document within its strategic plan. While the district now boasts a 91 per cent graduation rate, he has pointed out some of the district's weaknesses in recent test results regarding numeracy and literacy.  

These results were recently presented to the school board at a public meeting, in one of the regular strategic plan reports from district staff. 

Throness also notes that "shockingly" academic excellence is not listed as a core value by the district. The district's core values are a part of the current strategic plan and are: inclusion, diversity, kindness, equity, and innovation. The district's website says their values are guiding principles that "ensure we make decisions with integrity." 

The district's strategic plan is under review right now, and going through a public consultation process.

Throness has a long history in politics, and was chief of staff to the late MP Chuck Strahl, in three federal departments in Ottawa. He also worked for MLA Harvey Schroeder in the 1980s. He has a PhD in history from Cambridge, a masters degree in public administration from Queen's, and several other degrees.

He says his "commitment to the public system and to academia in general is unquestioned," as he went to public school throughout elementary and secondary school, and almost all of his post-secondary education. 

"I would like to dedicate my energy and experience to improving public education in School District 33," he added. In addition to focusing on academic excellence, he said his priorities are "fiscal responsibility, enhanced classroom attendance and discipline, and enhancing the warmth of relationships between parents and the system." 

But his time as a politician is not without controversy. Throness was ousted from the B.C. Liberal Party in the run-up to election day in October 2020, for comparing birth control to eugenics. The comments were made on the campaign trail, over the NDP's plan to make birth control free. 

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If elected, he would have sat as an independent MLA, but he lost his seat to NDP candidate Kelli Paddon. 

Throness is the second person to publicly announce their intention to run for the byelection. Katie Bartel, a long-time parent volunteer and education assistant, has also announced her candidacy. 

School district staff has said the byelection will likely be held in March.