Baird made his announcement this morning in the House of Commons receiving a standing ovation from fellow politicians. Baird had informed Prime Minister Stephen Harper of his plans on Monday evening. The resignation took effect immediately as to his position as minister and within days he will no longer be the MP of his riding.
In a statement Baird said, “I am eternally grateful for the trust and opportunity that the people of Ottawa West-Nepean placed in me as their representative for the past ten years. I also wish to thank the Prime Minister, my cabinet, caucus, and parliamentary colleagues for such a memorable experience.”
Baird said that he is excited for the next chapter of his life. That chapter will not include running for re-election in his Ottawa West-Nepean riding.
Because Baird is not running for election in 2015 he will qualify for his pension under an old rule, at age 55, instead of 65. The Parliament increased the qualifying age to 65 years old for the government pension to those who are elected or re-elected in 2015.
Baird is expected to return to the public sector but where he ends up has yet to be revealed. First elected in 2006 to the House of Commons, Baird had spent 10 years as an MP in provincial politics in Ontario.
Most recently Baird had been working on obtaining the release of journalist Mohamed Fahmy from an Egyptian prison. Fahmy’s fate is still up in the air.
