John Baird resigns as foreign affairs minister
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird resigned from the Harper cabinet in the House of Commons (HOC) on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015.
Sources from within the government say that Baird revealed to his staff that he will not seek re-election in the upcoming vote.
Baird, 45, is a veteran of Queen’s Park politics. In his stepping down as foreign affairs minister, however, Baird will leave the public life and politics behind him, headed for the private sector.
This unexpected resignation is seen as a blow to the Conservative party, seeking another term in the pending fall election. With Baird gone, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his party will face the re-building of their foreign policy operation. This blow comes less than a year after the resignation of Jim Flaherty in March of 2014, shortly before his death.
“The world continues to see the best that Canada has to offer,” Baird said in his address to the HOC. He praised the Harper government for their diplomatic and economic accomplishment, and he received a standing ovation from his fellow MPs.
Less than an hour after his resignation address, Baird tweeted that he was “humbled by the opportunity to serve with [Prime Minister Harper],” thanking him for his “trust and friendship.”
“It is with great regret and affection that I today accepted the resignation of one of the finest ministers that I have had the privilege of working with,” read the released statement from Prime Minister Harper. “John’s intelligence, charm, affability, and directness are well appreciated by Members of Parliament of all parties […] On behalf of all Canadians, I thank John Baird for his years of tireless devotion to Canadians in the House of Commons, in Cabinet, and in the Legislature of Ontario.”
Though Baird’s resignation remains a shock to many, he leaves on good terms with the Harper government and the entire HOC.
“Parliament was better for his presence, the country better for his service […] I wish John the best of luck in all his future endeavours,” concluded Prime Minister Harper.
-compiled by Alyssa Ottema