MP Brison bids farewell to House of Commons

OTTAWA — Scott Brison was fêted Wednesday as a trailblazer for gay rights as he announced his intention to retire from federal politics this weekend.

Brison — who made history as Canada’s first openly gay cabinet minister and again as the first federal politician to marry his same-sex partner — announced that Sunday will be his last day as the Liberal MP for King-Hants, the Nova Scotia riding he has represented for 22 years.

He resigned from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet early last month, after deciding over the holidays that he would not seek re-election this fall so he could spend more time with his family: husband Maxime St. Pierre and their four-year-old twins, Rose and Claire.

Brison was first elected as a Progressive Conservative in 1997. He crossed the floor to join the Liberals in 2003.