Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan says he won’t run in next election

OTTAWA — Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan on Wednesday became the latest member of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s front bench to announce he won’t seek re-election.

More than two dozen Liberals, including some ministers, are taking themselves out of the running in the next campaign as their party continues to face dismal polling numbers.

Sajjan said in a media statement he will remain a dedicated member of the Liberal party but his name will not be on the ballot the next time Canadians go to the polls.

That election has to be held before mid-October but is now expected this spring. All three opposition parties have vowed to defeat the government in a non-confidence vote as soon as they can.

Parliament is prorogued until March 24 and some spending votes, which are confidence matters, are expected to take place that same week.

Sajjan used his statement to express gratitude for what he said the government accomplished in his nearly 10 years in office. He also called for a return to civility in politics.

“Sadly over the last few years, our political landscape has become increasingly toxic and polarized with more aggressive rhetoric and even physical threats,” he wrote.

Sajjan is among a growing number of cabinet ministers and party leaders who have been given regular RCMP protection in recent years in response to threats.

Sajjan was first elected in Vancouver South in 2015, when the Trudeau Liberals swept to power, and has served in a variety of cabinet roles, including defence, veterans affairs and international development.

Sajjan joins multiple cabinet colleagues opting out of the coming election, including former housing minister Sean Fraser, former revenue minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and former sport minister Carla Qualtrough.

Trudeau himself is also not seeking re-election and will step down as prime minister and Liberal leader after his successor is elected on March 9.

Sajjan recently endorsed former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney for the Liberal leadership.

Carney’s presence in the race has convinced another Liberal to reverse her decision not to run again. Helena Jaczek said in July 2023 that she wouldn’t seek re-election and Trudeau replaced her in cabinet.

Earlier this week, she said she has changed her mind.

“The new energy in the party and in my community has caused me to rethink my retirement, and I now intend to run in the next election,” she said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2025.

The Canadian Press