A prominent Winnipeg MP and federal cabinet minister has decided not to run for re-election after a political career that started nearly 30 years ago.
Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal, who also serves as MP for Saint Boniface-Saint Vital within the Liberal government, said he will not be a candidate in the next federal election.
“Basically, I want to spend more time at home in Winnipeg and in St. Boniface.… For the better part of 30 years, I’ve been involved (in politics). That’s a long stretch and it’s a pretty good run. I turn 65 next year, which is a good age to go on to the next chapter in your life,” Vandal told the Free Press Thursday.
NIC ADAM / FREE PRESS FILES
MP for Saint Boniface-Saint Vital and Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal said he will not run in the next federal election.
First elected as the Winnipeg city councillor for St. Boniface in 1995, Vandal served in that role until 2004, when he made an unsuccessful bid to become mayor. Vandal was re-elected to his council seat in 2006, which he held until 2014, when he left to pursue federal politics.
In 2015, he was elected to represent Saint Boniface-Saint Vital. He has served as Northern Affairs minister since 2019.
Vandal is one of four Liberal cabinet ministers who informed the Prime Minister’s Office this week that they won’t run in the next election.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has, for several months, been under pressure inside caucus to resign the party leadership, as both the government’s polling numbers and his approval rating have plunged.
— With files from the Canadian Press
joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca
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Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter
Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
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