Liberal cabinet minister Harjit Sajjan won’t seek re-election

Minister of Emergency Preparedness Harjit Sajjan attends an announcement in Vancouver, B.C., Wednesday, July 3, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan will not seek re-election this year, the long-serving Liberal MP for Vancouver South announced Wednesday, citing an “increasingly toxic and polarized” political environment in his decision to step away.

The army veteran and former Vancouver police detective joined Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet as national defence minister when the Liberal party formed government in 2015.

“My decision to enter politics was driven by a desire to raise the collective voice of Vancouver South, so that our community’s hopes, concerns and needs would be heard in Ottawa,” Sajjan said in a statement posted on social media.

“Together, I believe we have accomplished this.”

Sajjan was re-elected in the riding in 2019 and again in 2021, after which he was shuffled from the national defence portfolio to international development, and then later to emergency preparedness.

Liberal leadership endorsement

In his statement, Sajjan highlighted some achievements from his nine years in cabinet, including launching a new Canadian defence policy that saw increased military spending, and leading the Canadian Armed Forces' response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the Vancouver South MP lamented that the political climate of the past few years has brought “more aggressive rhetoric and even physical threats.”

“This environment not only takes a toll on politicians, but also on our ability to raise our children in a healthy and safe way,” the statement said.

“We can and must find our way back to civility by embracing respect for each other, by seeking common ground and fostering constructive dialogue.”

Sajjan concluded his statement by saying he remains a dedicated member of the Liberal Party of Canada.

On Saturday, Sajjan endorsed former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney for the leadership of the Liberal party.

“Mark’s accomplishments are known the world over,” Sajjan said in a statement.

“Canada is the greatest country on Earth: we need builders, unifiers and proud Canadians with experience – Mark embodies some of the best attributes of Canada.”