Liberal cabinet minister Sajjan not seeking re-election, rallies against 'toxic and polarized' climate

Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan joined the list of Liberal MPs who aren't seeking re-election on Wednesday.

In an announcement on social media, the former army veteran said he won't re-offer in his riding of Vancouver South and thanked the community for raising him and teaching him the "importance of service and pursuing one's goals with commitment and integrity."

While Sajjan said he's leaving office "with a sense of confidence in the future," the minister also called for a return to decency and honour in public debate.

"Sadly, over the past few years, our political landscape has become increasingly toxic and polarized, with more aggressive rhetoric and even physical threats. This environment not only takes a significant toll on politicians, but also on our ability to raise our children in a healthy and safe way," he wrote.

"We can and must find find our way back to civility by embracing respect for each other." 

Sajjan has been a member of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet since the party formed government in 2015, when he was appointed minister of defence. 

He was tasked with acquiring a fleet of new fighter jets and developing a new defence strategy for the country, but faced heated criticism over his handling of the military sexual misconduct crisis.

In 2021, he was censured by the House of Commons as accusations against the ranks and leadership rocked the force. The formal rebuke also took aim at Sajjan for "misleading Canadians about his service record," after he claimed he was the "architect" of Operation Medusa, a Canadian-led offensive in the Afghanistan war. 

After the 2021 election, he was given the international development portfolio and later shuffled into emergency preparedness. 

A handful of now former cabinet members have said they aren't seeking re-election, including Seamus O'Regan (labour and seniors), Pablo Rodriguez (transport) Marie-Claude Bibeau (national revenue), Carla Qualtrough (sports), Filomena Tassi (economic development for Southern Ontario) and Dan Vandal (Northern affairs).

Rodriguez also resigned as MP and is running to lead the Liberal Party of Quebec.

In his statement, Sajjan thanked Trudeau for his "leadership and unwavering commitment to Canada."

On Tuesday, he endorsed former central banker Mark Carney, praising the former Bank of Canada governor's role navigating the country during the 2008 global financial crisis.

"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," Sajjan wrote on social media earlier this week.