Marco Mendicino, a prominent Toronto MP and former minister of public safety and immigration, will not be running in the upcoming federal election, CTV News has learned.
In a lengthy written statement, Mendicino, who has represented Eglinton-Lawrence since 2015, said it is “the right time, for me and my family” to step aside, and that he will serve the remainder of the session as a Representative .
“I have always felt the greatest sense of satisfaction in this job when I am with my community,” Mendicino wrote.
In the statement, Mendicino detailed his work on behalf of that community, but wrote that, as “rewarding as it may be, the job of a congressman is not always easy.”
“It is no secret that I disagree with the federal government’s current direction on our foreign policy in the face of our deteriorating relations with the State of Israel, our inadequate handling of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and our weakened role in the Middle East.”
The former minister’s statement goes on to note that there must be “room for different points of view” in political parties.
“On principle, I have been consistently outspoken in my condemnation of unjust attacks on the Jewish community, which is facing a wave of anti-Semitism.”
Former Liberal Justice Minister Irwin Cotler lamented Mendicino’s departure from Parliament in a brief conversation with CTV News.
“He has been at the forefront of fighting anti-Semitism and all forms of principled hate,” Cotler said.
“I am hopeful that his voice will find other forms of expression.”
In Mendicino’s statement, the MP wrote that he has been approached by Toronto residents and community leaders who feel he “should continue to play an active leadership role in our city,” and that he is glad to hear from more people about how to do so.
Mendicino’s foray into federal politics grabbed headlines from the start.
She faced off for the Liberal nomination in downtown Toronto against Eve Adams, who had crossed the field from the Conservatives and had the backing of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau for the nomination before becoming prime minister.
Mendicino won the nomination and defeated then-Finance Minister Joe Oliver in the 2015 election.
Following his re-election in 2019, Mendicino became Minister of Immigration and then Minister of Public Safety in 2021. Under the latter portfolio, Mendicino oversaw major legislation and faced multiple controversies.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends a Liberal Party fundraiser with Liberal MP Marco Mendicino in Toronto on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press)
During his time in public safety, he presided over the development of gun control legislation alongside stakeholders such as Metropolitan University of Toronto Professor Wendy Cukier, co-founder of the Gun Control Coalition. Cukier, who worked with several justice ministers for decades on the file, told CTV News that Mendicino was “thoughtful and consultative.”
“He understood that the realities across the country were different,” he said. “I looked at it with a nuanced understanding of the technical aspects of the legislation I was trying to develop.”
However, the legislation faced some backlash and the portfolio soon came under increased public scrutiny.
Mendicino was Minister of Public Security when the government invoked the Emergency Law during the 2022 Freedom Convoy protests, as well as when serial killer Paul Bernado was transferred to a medium-security facility in the spring of 2023, sparking a political storm for the federal government. government. That summer he was removed from cabinet and replaced by Dominic Leblanc.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino delivers a statement after appearing as a witness before a House of Commons standing committee on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, June 15, 2023. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
Liberals abandon politics
Mendicino’s decision to leave federal politics comes after six cabinet ministers announced they would not stand in the upcoming election, including, most recently, former Housing Minister Sean Fraser.
The decision also comes after a tumultuous series of weeks for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Last month, Chrystia Freeland announced she was resigning from cabinet as deputy prime minister and finance minister, saying she and Trudeau were at odds over the “best path forward for Canada.”
Since then, more than a dozen Liberal MPs have publicly called on the prime minister to resign. The Ontario and Atlantic caucuses met and decided to ask the same thing.
All regional liberal caucus chairs are scheduled to hold a Zoom meeting tomorrow, at 3 pm EST, to discuss next steps.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is also calling for a vote of no confidence in Trudeau’s government as soon as Parliament resumes, while NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said in a letter last month that the Liberals “do not deserve another chance.” ” and that his party “Present a clear motion of no confidence in the next session of the House of Commons.”
In his statement, Mendicino thanked Liberal MPs and former cabinet colleagues “who have my respect and admiration,” his staff, members of his riding association, as well as his Opposition and Senate counterparts. He did not mention the prime minister in the statement.
With files from CTV’s Judy Trinh and Stephanie Ha
