Liberal MPs Karen McCrimmon, Adam Vaughan and Will Amos said Sunday they will not run again in the next federal election.
McCrimmon has served as parliamentary secretary to several ministers since her election in Kanata—Carleton in 2015, and is the chair of the parliamentary committee on national defence.
First elected in a 2014 byelection in the now defunct riding of Trinity—Spadina, Vaughan currently represents Spadina—Fort York and serves as parliamentary secretary to the minister of families, children and social development.
Will Amos has represented the Quebec riding of Pontiac since 2015. He was parliamentary secretary to the minister of innovation, science and industry from 2019 until earlier this year, when he stepped down after two incidents during hybrid sessions of the House of Commons, one in which he was caught on camera naked and another in which he said he “urinated without realizing (he) was on camera.”
After the second incident, Amos said he would step away from his parliamentary duties and seek assistance.
Pontiac Liberal MP Will Amos responds to a question on Parliament Hill Dec. 11, 2020. (Patrick Doyle/Canadian Press)
Amos said in a statement Sunday he was “not closing the door to politics” but that now was not the right time to run for re-election.
“Politics is a beautiful and tough profession. But it is not the only means by which progressive, transformative change can be achieved to move our society forward,” he wrote.
Amos won convincing victories in 2015 and 2019 in a riding that is often considered a bellwether in Canadian politics.
Amos’s statement came a short time after Karen McCrimmon tweeted her own announcement that she would not reoffer.
She said on Twitter she was facing health challenges and would not be running again, calling the news “disappointing.” She added that the timing was “undeniably difficult” but noted that she “was not in any way pushed to make this decision.”
I am facing some health challenges which, though not insurmountable, will demand my ongoing effort and attention. Consequently, I cannot stand for re-election as your Member of Parliament.
“It is a painful realization that I cannot continue to serve you in the manner you so rightfully deserve and to the standard that I have always striven to achieve,” she wrote.
McCrimmon kept her suburban Ottawa riding solidly red over the past two elections, in an area that was largely Conservative territory prior to redistribution of seats in 2012. She also participated in the Liberals’ 2013 leadership race.
The news of Amos, McCrimmon and Vaughan’s withdrawals come ahead of a widely anticipated election call later this summer. They join nine other Liberal MPs who have already announced they will not be running again.
‘I’ve done as much as I think I can do’: Vaughan
CBC News reported earlier Sunday Vaughan would not be running in his downtown Toronto riding.
“First and foremost it’s a family decision,” he said in an interview. Vaughan also said that turning 60 this year made him reflect on the stresses of life as a parliamentarian.
“It’s not a job you can do at half-speed. When I looked at the term ahead and the work that is still to be done, I thought, ‘I’ve done as much as I think I can do.'”
Liberal Karen McCrimmon speaks to supporters and volunteers after her re-election in Kanata—Carleton on Oct. 21, 2019. McCrimmon announced Sunday she would not run in the next federal election. (Matthew Kupfer/CBC)
“As my mother once told me, when you feel like you’ve run out of steam and out of fire, it’s time to get out of the way and let someone else with the passion to be on the floor of Parliament or the office that you hold, to let them take that spot,” Vaughan said.
He said he had notified Prime Minister Justin Trudeau several months ago that he would not be seeking re-election.
The Liberal MP first won a seat in Parliament in 2014 after a byelection in the downtown Toronto riding of Trinity—Spadina, which was scrubbed from the electoral map after redistribution.
He has represented Spadina—Fort York since 2015, when he defeated NDP candidate Olivia Chow by a comfortable margin. He easily held the seat in 2019.
Vaughan says he won’t run for office elsewhere
Vaughan also ruled out running for office at any other level of government, including for mayor of Toronto when that city holds its municipal elections next year.
“I think I’ll leave it to the city to choose its next generation of leaders, and if I can support them I will,” he said.
“But the idea of running for another term of office in another level of government is not in the cards. It’s time for a new chapter.”
Vaughan celebrates his byelection win in the Trinity—Spadina riding in June 2014. (Aaron Vincent Elkaim/The Canadian Press)
Vaughan said he was looking forward to revisiting, in some capacity, old projects he had envisioned during his years as a Toronto city councillor from 2006-14, such as the revitalization of city parks and other spaces.
He also said he had a “wicked” collection of cartoons that he’d never published. Vaughan was a cartoonist before working as a journalist for various outlets including the CBC.
Reflections on 7 years in Parliament
Vaughan said he was proud of the work he and the government had done around affordable housing and poverty reduction.
He also reflected on his years as an MP, saying there was too much of a partisan atmosphere in the House that got in the way of good policy.
“And this is coming from someone who’s had as much fun as anybody heckling,” he said, while emphasizing an equal focus on policymaking.
“Politics works better when it’s collaborative and when we meet together on common ground, instead of always looking for the battleground.”
Vaughan said he was looking forward to seeing what a new generation of politicians would be able to do in federal politics, pointing to work done by ministers Ahmed Hussen, Maryam Monsef, Karina Gould and fellow MP Marci Ien.
The MP said he would continue to make government announcements focused on housing as part of his role as parliamentary secretary.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
MONTREAL – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he will not be taking advice from Pierre Poilievre after the Conservative leader challenged him to bring down government.
“I say directly to Pierre Poilievre: I’m not going to listen to you,” said Singh on Wednesday, accusing Poilievre of wanting to take away dental-care coverage from Canadians, among other things.
“I’m not going to listen to your advice. You want to destroy people’s lives, I want to build up a brighter future.”
Earlier in the day, Poilievre challenged Singh to commit to voting non-confidence in the government, saying his party will force a vote in the House of Commons “at the earliest possibly opportunity.”
“I’m asking Jagmeet Singh and the NDP to commit unequivocally before Monday’s byelections: will they vote non-confidence to bring down the costly coalition and trigger a carbon tax election, or will Jagmeet Singh sell out Canadians again?” Poilievre said.
“It’s put up or shut up time for the NDP.”
While Singh rejected the idea he would ever listen to Poilievre, he did not say how the NDP would vote on a non-confidence motion.
“I’ve said on any vote, we’re going to look at the vote and we’ll make our decision. I’m not going to say our decision ahead of time,” he said.
Singh’s top adviser said on Tuesday the NDP leader is not particularly eager to trigger an election, even as the Conservatives challenge him to do just that.
Anne McGrath, Singh’s principal secretary, says there will be more volatility in Parliament and the odds of an early election have risen.
“I don’t think he is anxious to launch one, or chomping at the bit to have one, but it can happen,” she said in an interview.
New Democrat MPs are in a second day of meetings in Montreal as they nail down a plan for how to navigate the minority Parliament this fall.
The caucus retreat comes one week after Singh announced the party has left the supply-and-confidence agreement with the governing Liberals.
It’s also taking place in the very city where New Democrats are hoping to pick up a seat on Monday, when voters go to the polls in Montreal’s LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. A second byelection is being held that day in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona, where the NDP is hoping to hold onto a seat the Conservatives are also vying for.
While New Democrats are seeking to distance themselves from the Liberals, they don’t appear ready to trigger a general election.
Singh signalled on Tuesday that he will have more to say Wednesday about the party’s strategy for the upcoming sitting.
He is hoping to convince Canadians that his party can defeat the federal Conservatives, who have been riding high in the polls over the last year.
Singh has attacked Poilievre as someone who would bring back Harper-style cuts to programs that Canadians rely on, including the national dental-care program that was part of the supply-and-confidence agreement.
The Canadian Press has asked Poilievre’s office whether the Conservative leader intends to keep the program in place, if he forms government after the next election.
With the return of Parliament just days away, the NDP is also keeping in mind how other parties will look to capitalize on the new makeup of the House of Commons.
The Bloc Québécois has already indicated that it’s written up a list of demands for the Liberals in exchange for support on votes.
The next federal election must take place by October 2025 at the latest.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is defending her decision to turn off comments on her social media accounts — with an announcement on social media.
She posted screenshots to X this morning of vulgar names she’s been called on the platform, and says comments on her posts for months have been dominated by insults, to the point that she decided to block them.
Montreal’s Opposition leader and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have criticized Plante for limiting freedom of expression by restricting comments on her X and Instagram accounts.
They say elected officials who use social media should be willing to hear from constituents on those platforms.
However, Plante says some people may believe there is a fundamental right to call someone offensive names and to normalize violence online, but she disagrees.
Her statement on X is closed to comments.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
