Justice Minister Peter MacKay is expected to announce this afternoon that he will not be seeking re-election as a Member of Parliament.
The Nova Scotia Conservative, who was first elected in 1997, is leaving politics altogether, the Canadian Press reports.
A source close to MacKay said with the expected arrival of a second child in September, he wants to spend more time with his family.
He is set to make the announcement in New Glasgow, N.S., at 4 p.m. ET.
MacKay’s resignation in the latest in a string of high-profile ministers to leave Harper’s cabinet ahead of the federal election in the fall.
In February, John Baird announced he would be leaving politics and stepped down as Stephen Harper’s foreign affairs minister.
Christian Paradis, the former International Development Minister, and Shelly Glover, who served as Canadian Heritage and Official Languages Minister, also said they’re not seeking re-election.
MacKay, who turns 50 this year, ran successfully for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative party and then helped to facilitate a merger with the Canadian Alliance.
He did not run against Harper for the helm of the new party and went on to hold some of the most senior positions in cabinet over the last nine years — foreign affairs, defence and finally, justice.
Harper’s decision to travel to Nova Scotia to be with MacKay hints at the close relationship between the two men, despite perceptions that they frequently butted heads around the cabinet table.
Questions have swirled about whether MacKay would remain in federal politics after Baird resigned abruptly in February.
At the time, MacKay pointed out he had already filed his nomination papers to run again in the riding of Central Nova.
