Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith has said he will not seek re-election at the next federal election.
Mr. Erskine-Smith announced his decision in the following document: substack post on Thursday.
“I will forever be grateful to everyone who believed in me and helped make change alongside me,” the Beaches-East York MP wrote.
“All of that is true, but I love my family more than anything, so I plan to stay close to home after this parliament. After the next federal election, I hope someone else steps up and supports Beaches East.” There will come a time when I will serve the City of York.” ”
Erskine-Smith’s announcement follows the recent failure of the Ontario Liberal Party leadership race. After three rounds of voting, she came in second place behind former Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie.
Erskine Smith said it was “tough” to lose such a close game.
“A strange mix of emotions arose: pride in the principled, progressive, ideas-based campaign we ran, gratitude for our amazing teams across the state…with my wife and young children… “A sense of relief to be able to spend time there, and a sense of disappointment in what we did. A great opportunity to make a difference was missed,” he wrote.
Ms Erskine-Smith was first elected to the Liberal government in 2015. Since then, he has gained a reputation as a backbencher who is not afraid to do things. Disagree – or vote against – his own party.
The member of parliament disagrees with the government on the following points: electoral reform and expressed doubts about its use. emergency law. He also urged the party to further advance policies related to animal welfare and drug legalization.
“I wouldn’t trade the last 10 years for anything else. It may feel a bit like pushing a rock up a hill, but I’ve also had some success in shaping policy and bringing about change. ” Erskine-Smith writes in her book. substack post.
One of his private members’ bills, C-236, sought to set new guidelines for police and prosecutors when dealing with drug possession cases, with the aim of diverting people from the courts and into the health care system. It is something.The bill is later incorporated into government legislation It became law in 2022.
Mr Erskine-Smith said he intended to remain an MP until the next federal election. He did not say what he planned to do after that.
“I don’t know what the future holds beyond that, but I intend to look for new opportunities to make a difference,” he wrote.
