Another reshuffle imminent

Prime Minister Stephen Harper thanks John Baird, Minister of Foreign Affairs, for his years of dedicated service after accepting his resignation in the House of Commons.

Sudden departure of John Baird, one of the Conservative Party’s most competent lieutenants, will force Stephen Harper to shuffle his cabinet for the second time in four weeks as he tries to make up for this loss of bench strength only seven months before the next election campaign is expected to start.

The 45-year-old Ottawa MP told Mr. Harper of his decision only on Monday night as news of his departure leaked out and forced him to move up an announcement planned for later this week.

The death in April, 2014, of former finance minister Jim Flaherty, a friend and colleague in both the federal and Ontario cabinets, was a “turning point” for  Baird.“Jim’s passing had a huge impact on him as well in terms of thinking about his future and life in general,”  Chris Froggatt, a friend and former chief of staff to  Baird is reported to have said.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper  issued the following statement on the resignation of John Baird, Minister of Foreign Affairs:

“John has been an essential part of my ministry since 2006, when he served as President of the Treasury Board. Since then, he has been Minister of the Environment, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and, of course, Minister of Foreign Affairs.He has accomplished remarkable things in those portfolios, including introducing and successfully shepherding the new Federal Accountability Act through both houses of Parliament, delivering some 12,000 infrastructure stimulus projects across the country during the global economic crisis when they were needed most, and most recently taking on the Ukraine and ISIL crises.”