Baird steps back from political life
Foreign Affairs minister said to be mulling private sector role
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird will not seek re-election and will resign his position in the Harper cabinet this week, a source has told Postmedia News.
Baird, 45, was first elected to Parliament in 2006, representing Ottawa West-Nepean, and re-elected in 2008 and 2011. He is expected to resign as soon as Tuesday.
Baird is not leaving for any particular job, but has decided the time is right for him to move to the private sector, a friend said Monday.
“He’s at the perfect age and in the perfect place to make a move,” said his friend, speaking on condition that he not be named.
“He took a look at the calendar and … if he left now, I think people just do their walk in the snow. I think what’s precipitated it is he’s been doing it for 20 years.”
This is a personal decision and has nothing to do with Baird’s assessment of the electoral prospects of Harper’s government, his friend said.
Baird is likely to look at private sector opportunities in Toronto.
“He has spent his entire life as an elected official or a political staffer and at this point in his life, in his mid- to late 40s, now is the time for him to build another career,” his friend said.
“He’s had 10 portfolios, which is a lot by Canadian standards, so I think he just felt like personally for him it was time to go.”
Before being appointed foreign affairs minister in May 2011, Baird held a variety of high-profile roles in Stephen Harper’s Conservative government.
His first cabinet role was as president of the Treasury Board from February 2006 until January 2007, when he became environment minister. In October 2008, he became minister of transport, a role he had until August 2010 when he became government House leader.
Baird has also served as the member of Parliament responsible for the national capital region, including the National Capital Commission.
He entered federal office after more than a decade as the Ontario member of provincial parliament for Nepean-Carleton, serving in former premier Mike Harris’ cabinet.
Baird was first elected to Queen’s Park in 1995 at age 26.
Baird’s departure from cabinet, along with the resignation of Jim Flaherty a month before his death last year, means two of Harper’s most powerful ministers will have left the prime minister’s inner circle in less than a year.
Baird represents the riding of Ottawa West-Nepean and was nominated last March as the Conservative candidate in the newly created riding of Nepean for the next federal election, which must be held by Oct. 19 at the latest.
News of the resignation spread quickly.
Ontario MPP Lisa MacLeod tweeted: “John Baird has been a strong MPP and MP for our community. Appreciate all he has done for Ontario and Canada.”
“He’s at the perfect age and in the perfect place to make a move. FRIEND OF JOHN BAIRD SPEAKING ANONYMOUSLY