Long-time B.C. Liberal MLA and former cabinet minister Colin Hansen has confirmed he won't be seeking re-election in the upcoming provincial election in May.

"By the time the election rolls around next May, I will have served as the MLA for Vancouver-Quilchena for 17 years. I have enjoyed each of those years," Hansen said in a statement posted on the B.C. Government Caucus website on Friday morning.

Hansen is the 14th B.C. Liberal MLA to confirm he does not plan to run again in the upcoming election, but he says he is not stepping out of politics completely. He's agreed to serve as deputy campaign manager for the B.C. Liberals during the campaign.

Hansen served as minister of health, economic development, finance and as deputy premier during his time in the legislature, but he'll likely be remembered most as the minister who introduced the HST.

In his resignation letter Hansen admitted to making mistakes in how the unpopular tax was introduced shortly after the 2009 election, but denied allegations he and then-premier Gordon Campbell had lied about their intentions before the election.

"With regards to the HST issue, we did not do an adequate job in how decisions were made and how they were implemented and, as the minister of finance at the time, I take the responsibility for that," Hansen said in his statement.

"Many became convinced that we had planned the HST from before the election and that we had explicitly promised during the election that it would not be introduced. Neither of these perceptions is true and I accept responsibility for not being able to correct the public perception."