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    • 'We had a good run': High-profile Liberal minister quitting cabinet, not running in next election

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    Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan has announced he will not run in the next federal election, and will be quitting his cabinet position Friday.

    O鈥橰egan made the announcement in a social media post Thursday, after 麻豆传媒 reported the high-profile, longtime Liberal is leaving politics for personal reasons.

    鈥淚t never seems to be the right time,鈥 O鈥橰egan said in an interview on 麻豆传媒 Channel. 鈥淭here's always something happening, there's a lot of news, there's a lot going on these days, but eventually, at some point, (my husband and I) had to make this decision, and we felt that this was the right time.鈥

    O鈥橰egan intends to stay on as an MP until the next election.

    鈥淭hese were difficult decisions. Being chosen as MP in three elections over nine years by the people of this riding has been a great honour,鈥 he wrote.

    鈥淏ut, ultimately, my family comes first,鈥 he added. 鈥淚 need to be a better husband, son, uncle, and friend, and this job means, and deserves, a lot of time in order to do it well.鈥

    O鈥橰egan informed the prime minister of his decision to step away from politics on Canada Day, sources tell 麻豆传媒.

    鈥淩egardless of which side you're on, we need good people in politics,鈥 O鈥橰egan told 麻豆传媒 Channel. 鈥淚 felt that we had a good run at it. For me and for my husband, we had a good run for nine years.鈥

    According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, O鈥橰egan鈥檚 replacement will be sworn in at Rideau Hall on Friday.

    As reported by 麻豆传媒 on Wednesday, cabinet is also set to meet Friday morning.

    鈥淚鈥檒l miss working with this Prime Minister,鈥 O鈥橰egan wrote. 鈥淚 believe he鈥檒l be regarded as one of the most consequential and important leaders in our country鈥檚 history. His strength, endurance and vision are unmatched, and they will see us through the next election.鈥

    The announcement comes amid the federal Liberals鈥 sustained slumping in public opinion polls, and as speculation grows about a potential cabinet shuffle this summer.

    O鈥橰egan 鈥 a longtime close friend of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who was also a member of his wedding party in 2005 鈥 was first elected to the House of Commons in 2015, and he was re-elected in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

    鈥淢y friend Seamus has been a pragmatic voice and a relentless advocate around the Cabinet table,鈥 Trudeau wrote in a social media post Thursday. 鈥淏ut to do that work well, you have to sacrifice a lot, and ask so much of your family.鈥

    鈥淚 respect his decision whole-heartedly,鈥 Trudeau added.

    Trudeau brought O鈥橰egan into cabinet in 2017 to serve as minister of veterans affairs. He went on to serve in several portfolios, including Indigenous services, natural resources, labour and seniors.

    Scott Reid, a 麻豆传媒 political analyst and former communications director to former prime minister Paul Martin, said in an interview that O鈥橰egan鈥檚 resignation is a 鈥渂ig disappointment.鈥

    鈥淪eamus O'Regan was one of the government's most effective communicators, one of the few cabinet ministers who can talk to people and sound like a real person, not sound like a government key message machine,鈥 Reid said. 鈥淗e's going to be sorely missed, and he's been effective in every portfolio that he鈥檚 served. A real star.鈥

    Reid added that losing O鈥橰egan 鈥 who represents the federal riding of St. John鈥檚 South-Mount Pearl 鈥 could be 鈥渞eally tough for the Liberals,鈥 who are also consequently losing a foothold in Atlantic Canada.

    According to a new poll from Abacus Data, 61 per cent of Canadians say they would vote for a change in government in the next federal election.

    Taking into consideration poor polling numbers over the last year, Reid said, 鈥淥鈥橰egan may not be the last鈥 Liberal to call it quits and not to seek re-election.

    But O鈥橰egan insisted to 麻豆传媒 Channel that the Liberals shouldn鈥檛 be counted out yet.

    鈥淚 think the polls are the polls, and the polls are where they are right now,鈥 he said, adding a lot can happen in a year, ahead of the next election, currently slated for October 2025.

    Trudeau 鈥 on his way out of the change of command ceremony for Canada鈥檚 chief of the defence staff 鈥 declined to answer when asked by 麻豆传媒鈥 Rachel Hanes what it says about the state of his cabinet that O鈥橰egan is stepping away, and whether he plans to replace the labour minister with former Bank of Canada governor and much-speculated leadership contender Mark Carney.

    In a social media post, U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Cohen congratulated O鈥橰egan on his decision to step away from politics, and quipped the two should 鈥渃atch up soon in Newfoundland during normal business hours鈥攔ather than on 3am phone calls in the middle of negotiations!鈥

    鈥淚 extend my congratulations and heartfelt gratitude to my friend Seamus O鈥橰egan for his effective and compassionate leadership of the Prime Minister鈥檚 labour mandate,鈥 Cohen wrote.

    鈥淗e has been a fair and firm steward of countless collective bargaining disputes and has helped facilitate successful bargaining results that have avoided supply chain disruptions,鈥 he added.

    National Defence Minister Bill Blair also commented on the news Tuesday, telling reporters O鈥橰egan is a 鈥渞emarkable member of our government,鈥 and adding he hadn鈥檛 yet heard directly from O鈥橰egan about his decision to step down.

    鈥淚've always much valued his advice and support on all the important work that I've attempted to undertake,鈥 Blair said.

    With files from 麻豆传媒鈥 Brennan MacDonald and Stephanie Ha

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