John Baird to resign as foreign affairs minister and not run again – CP

Source: The Canadian Press
Feb 2, 2015 22:22

By Jennifer Ditchburn

THE CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA _ Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is resigning from cabinet and won’t run in the next election, say multiple Conservative sources.

It is still unclear where Baird is headed, but it appears current International Trade Minister Ed Fast will become acting foreign minister.

Baird has been consistently one of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s highest profile ministers, taking on a series of important portfolios. He was one of the only high-profile Ontario Tories who threw his support behind Harper’s leadership bid for the new Conservative Party of Canada.

Baird held a number of positions in the Ontario provincial government and as an opposition member at Queen’s Park before coming to Ottawa.

When the Conservatives formed a government in 2006, Harper gave him the lead role in ushering through the first major piece of legislation, the Federal Accountability Act, as president of the Treasury Board.

Later, he served as environment minister, transport minister, government house leader, and finally ended up at foreign affairs after the last election.

One Toronto Conservative dismissed speculation that Baird was leaving because of some rift with Harper, saying the minister had one of the closest relationships with the prime minister of any in cabinet.

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