Retiring MPs say they will miss their elected colleagues most

While most MPs have spent the last few weeks in a furor of pre-election fever, for some, last week was their final week in federal politics. Nobody is guaranteed a return trip to Ottawa after an election is called, but some MPs have already made the decision not to stand for re-election, including such House veterans as Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy (Winnipeg South Centre, Man.) and House Speaker Gilbert Parent (Niagara Centre, Ont.).For Liberal MP Christine Stewart (Northumberland, Ont.), who has served for 12 years as both cabinet minister and backbencher during her tenure in Parliament, she felt it was time for a change."I've had a wonderful political career that most MPs can only hope for, and I'm looking forward to serving the public in a new way."Ms. Stewart said it's been "weird" watching her House colleagues prepare for the upcoming election while knowing that she wouldn't be out on the hustings when the writ is dropped."It's weird -- you feel the tension of election fever, but it's nice not to have to be personally worried about it. You don't feel that little negative dread of going into an election campaign."At the same time, she said, "I'm also raring to go, and I want to shout from the mountain top about what a good job we've done."Ms. Stewart said she hopes to get the chance to do just that during the next election, and plans to offer her services to whoever wins the nomination in her riding this weekend. After that, she's not sure what the future holds for her, but she's not worried."I've always been blessed with wonderful opportunities, and I have a lot of confidence in my own future."As for regrets, she said that what she will miss most of all are the people."What I will miss is my caucus, and my colleagues all around the House. It's definitely the people I will miss most of all. I particularly enjoyed caucus meetings, and debating various points of view. The Liberal Party is a big family, and we treat each other that way. We're each able to express our own point of view," said Ms. Stewart.Mr. Parent, a 22-year veteran of the Commons, who has been Speaker since he was first elected to the post Jan. 17, 1994, informed the House that he too would not be seeking re-election.Mr. Parent, who wants to be remembered for opening up the doors to Parliament, figuratively and literally, said in a statement that he is proud of launching the Teachers' Institute on Canadian Parliamentary Democracy.While most MPs have spent the last few weeks in a furor of pre-election fever, for some, last week was their final week in federal politics. Nobody is guaranteed a return trip to Ottawa after an election is called, but some MPs have already made the decision not to stand for re-election, including such House veterans as Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy (Winnipeg South Centre, Man.) and House Speaker Gilbert Parent (Niagara Centre, Ont.).For Liberal MP Christine Stewart (Northumberland, Ont.), who has served for 12 years as both cabinet minister and backbencher during her tenure in Parliament, she felt it was time for a change."I've had a wonderful political career that most MPs can only hope for, and I'm looking forward to serving the public in a new way."Ms. Stewart said it's been "weird" watching her House colleagues prepare for the upcoming election while knowing that she wouldn't be out on the hustings when the writ is dropped."It's weird -- you feel the tension of election fever, but it's nice not to have to be personally worried about it. You don't feel that little negative dread of going into an election campaign."At the same time, she said, "I'm also raring to go, and I want to shout from the mountain top about what a good job we've done."Ms. Stewart said she hopes to get the chance to do just that during the next election, and plans to offer her services to whoever wins the nomination in her riding this weekend. After that, she's not sure what the future holds for her, but she's not worried."I've always been blessed with wonderful opportunities, and I have a lot of confidence in my own future."As for regrets, she said that what she will miss most of all are the people."What I will miss is my caucus, and my colleagues all around the House. It's definitely the people I will miss most of all. I particularly enjoyed caucus meetings, and debating various points of view. The Liberal Party is a big family, and we treat each other that way. We're each able to express our own point of view," said Ms. Stewart.Mr. Parent, a 22-year veteran of the Commons, who has been Speaker since he was first elected to the post Jan. 17, 1994, informed the House that he too would not be seeking re-election.Mr. Parent, who wants to be remembered for opening up the doors to Parliament, figuratively and literally, said in a statement that he is proud of launching the Teachers' Institute on Canadian Parliamentary Democracy.Some on the Hill, however, will be glad to see Mr. Parent go, especially the workers in the Library of Parliament and other workers in the House who haven't exactly been fans of the House Speaker's leadership style.Liberal MP George Proud (Hillsborough, P.E.I.) has also spent 12 years in the House, and, like Ms. Stewart, wants to move on."I don't know of any specific reason why I decided not to run," he admitted."I decided it was a good time to go. I came in 12 years ago, and felt it was a good time to move on, and let someone else have an easier chance at getting elected than I had."He, too, has been experiencing the strangeness of being part of election fever without actually having a stake in the next election."That's the tough part, I've been feeling it and I'm still thinking as though I'm getting in the election mode, but I know that on Monday night, there's going to be a nomination, and I'm not going to be part of it."He said that he definitely plans on helping his successor during the campaign, but it will be strange not going door-to-door in his riding."It will be different not going door to door. In Prince Edward Island, you have to get to every door, because if you miss them, they'll be mad," said Mr. Proud, who is rumoured to be up for a patronage post.Canadian Alliance MP Ian McClelland (Edmonton Southwest, Alta.), who served as Deputy Speaker for the last four years, will also be hanging up his robes and heading home for good. He says it's a "bittersweet" farewell -- although he looks forward to the next stage of his career, a foray into Alberta provincial politics, he'll miss the Hill."It's very bittersweet. I've come to love Ottawa, the Hill, and everything that is represented therein. I've made a number of friends in politics, out of politics, across the aisle and in the media and the bureaucracy. I love the job. I love being here, and I feel very privileged to have had this experience. I'm humbled by it. I don't want to leave, but I've made the decision that I'm moving on," said Mr. McClelland.It wasn't an easy decision to make, he noted."I absolutely love this place. Being Deputy Speaker may have augmented it, but I got goosebumps the first day I walked up to the Hill and saw the Peace Tower, and I still get those goosebumps whenever I walk inside. I'm deeply respectful of Parliament."Mr. McClelland said that, at the time that he made the decision to make the move to provincial politics, he felt that the kinds of things he wanted to do would best be accomplished in the Alberta legislature, rather than in Ottawa."Since much of the real governance is done at the provincial level, I wanted to be there. These ideas have to start somewhere, and I want to use my influence to ensure that Alberta continues to take a leadership role."Some of the areas in which he'd like to see Alberta blaze ahead are individual and human rights, programs for children at risk, representative issues and citizen initiatives and the unity debate."I'm not a fan of referendum and recall as a bromide," he said, "but actual empowerment. I want to make those who represent us more responsive, but I also want to ensure that the importance of public service is seen by both governors and the governed."These sorts of initiatives, he said, can take hold at the provincial level. "If it does, nothing can stop it from moving to the national level."He said he believes that his experience in Ottawa may put him in a unique position to put his political ideals into action."The provinces, very often, when they get to Ottawa, see this as a foreign country. There is not one single individual in the Alberta legislature who has ever been elected federally, so they don't have that ease of communication."If elected, he said, he will be able to facilitate that communication."If I'm successful, I will be able to add a dimension to the caucus that would not be there."Mr. McClelland has already won the nomination for the riding of Edmonton-Rutherford in the next provincial election, expected sometime in the spring.He may be leaving the federal political arena, but that doesn't mean he's forsaking the party that brought him to Ottawa in the first place, he said."I will continue to be supportive of the Alliance, and work towards the reconciliation of small-c conservatives."He predicted, "As soon as the wounds heal, both the Alliance and what's left of the Tories will work together to come together in the national interest, and I'll do everything I can to work on that."As for the upcoming election, he said that he has every confidence in the ability of his successor, James Rajotte, who worked for Mr. McClelland as an executive assistant on the Hill."I endorsed James Rajotte, who eventually won the nomination. He's a fine young man, very cerebral."It was important, he said, to know that his riding would be in good hands after his departure."When I took over for Jim Edwards, I tried to represent the riding so that he would be comfortable and secure in how I succeeded him, even though we were from different parties. I hope to see the same thing with James."Mr. McClelland's caucus colleague Cliff Breitkreuz (Yellowhead, Alta.) is also hanging up his hat as an MP and heading back to the farm. He said it's a "good time" to exit federal politics, particularly for someone like him who has been around since the beginning of the Reform phenomenon."I'm an original founder--I helped found the Reform Party, and this last spring, I saw it turn into the Alliance. We have a new leader, and we're very well poised to perhaps become the next government of Canada. But I kind of like to see things get going--I'm not so much interested in the administration part," said Mr. Breitkreuz.Instead, he said, he will be spending time on the farm and getting back into "civilian" life."We have a place to run back home -- a farm and a ranch back there, and I also have family commitments with a couple of grandsons, and one on the way."Mr. Breitkreuz said he'd like to do a little travelling -- "other than from the riding to Ottawa" but beyond that, who knows what else the future might hold?"I'm not currently planning on going into provincial politics, but we'll just see how things turn out. You never know."Mr. Breitkreuz echoed Mr. McClelland's term when reflecting on his departure from national political life."It's kind of bittersweet I've been here for sever years and two terms. I've had the honour to serve the people of Yellowhead in Parliament, that's kind of the sweetness, but there's bitterness at the same time since I won't be doing that job anymore. Someone else will be taking the nomination this weekend, and taking that seat after the next election. It's part of you life that slowly fades away, said Mr. Breitkreuz.He said he doesn't regret his decision not to run again, however."Knowing when to leave is just about as important a knowing when to get in. There are just too many politicians around, and the only way they know when to quit is when the electorate tells them to get out You can go down more gracefully.

Read the latest Election 2025 stories

Retiring MPs say they will miss their elected colleagues most

To keep reading, subscribe and become a political insider.

Only $7.76 a week for an annual subscription.

Liberals could pick up five to six seats in Alberta, but NDP’s bleed in votes could also help Conservatives, say strategists

Conservatives target labour vote as NDP support wanes, but union leader says there’s ‘no substance’ behind catchy slogans

Canada needs a national strategy for security, trade, and economy to contend with Trump, say political science experts

AFN election priority report urges parties to make ‘clear, firm’ pledges to First Nations

Arctic security takes spotlight as Canadian sovereignty remains key campaign issue

Tariffs ‘still devastating’ despite ‘reciprocal’ reprieve, says Senator on Canada-U.S. council

Tariffs ‘still devastating’ despite ‘reciprocal’ reprieve, says Senator on Canada-U.S. council

The federal public servants running in election 2025

Major third parties wind down ads in writ period, but organic ‘authenticity’ better than polished spots, say strategists

Who’s who on Mark Carney’s 2025 Liberal campaign team

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Day 13: Poilievre eyes Trois-Rivières, Carney targets Scarborough

Does size really matter? Rethinking public service reform

Canada urgently needs a new growth strategy in response to Trump’s economic war

What Canada needs now is more robust, visionary diplomacy, not more military spending

Health security must be recognized as a pillar of national security

Day 12: Tariff drama pivots to the auto sector—and retaliation

Day 12: Tariff drama pivots to the auto sector—and retaliation

News

Get free news updates

Opinion

Submit a guest opinion article

resources

Follow us

Advertise

subscribe

get help

Get free news updates

Submit a guest opinion article

Retiring MPs say they will miss their elected colleagues most

To keep reading, subscribe and become a political insider.

Only $7.76 a week for an annual subscription.

Become a Political Insider

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8