Lawrence MacAulay, Canada’s second-longest serving Member of Parliament, has not said whether he plans to run in the next federal election.
MacAulay, who turns 78 next month, has represented the electoral district of Cardigan in eastern Prince Edward Island for 35 years, having been first elected in 1988.
Mr Macaulay is currently the longest serving Liberal MP, having won 11 consecutive elections, and declined to say whether he would seek a 12th term.
“I just hope I’m alive until the next election, that’s all,” he said. “When you get to the stage in life that I am, you don’t want to be too aggressive.”
A spokesman for McCauley’s office confirmed the MP does not currently have any serious health issues and said he had made the comment in jest.
During his time in office, MacAulay served under three Liberal prime ministers and is currently Canada’s agriculture minister, but has also held several other posts, including attorney general, minister of veterans’ affairs and minister of labour.
He is not the oldest member of Parliament: the longest-serving MP, Bloc Quebecois’ Louis Plamondon, is 80, and Vancouver Centre MP Hedy Frye is 83.
When asked by CBC News if he would run again, MacAulay laughed and said, “Oh, I love politics,” but didn’t provide a clear answer.
“I’m very pleased and honoured by my job and very grateful to the people of eastern Prince Edward Island for giving me this privilege,” he said.
Macaulay’s long tenure has led many journalists to ask over the years whether he plans to stand in the next election.
His answers this week mark a slight shift: For years, his standard statement about whether he would run again has been that he’s already been preparing for the next election.
In May, MacAulay’s name was not on the Liberal Party’s list of candidates for the upcoming election. The Liberal Party of Canada did not immediately respond to a request for an update on MacAulay’s status.
The Conservatives have fielded former provincial cabinet minister James Aylward in the Cardigan riding, while the New Democrats have fielded Lynn Teal of Stratford, Prince Edward Island.
While the opposition could trigger an election at any time, the NDP has struck a supply and confidence deal to prop up the government in exchange for solving key issues.
If the agreement lasts through the next two House sessions, an election could be held in the fall of 2025.
