OTTAWA, Ontario — Canada’s labor minister, Seamus O’Regan, announced today (Thursday, July 18) that he is stepping down from that position and will not seek reelection to parliament.
His resignation from the cabinet position is effective Friday, but he will continue to serve as an MP from the St. John’s South-Mount Pearl riding in Newfoundland until the next election. The CBC reports Steven MacKinnon, an MP from Gatineau, Quebec, currently serving as leader of the Liberal Party in the House, will be sworn in as the new labor minister on Friday.
The move comes as Canada continues to face rail strikes against Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City; a dual strike could have a significant impact on the country’s economy. O’Regan delayed those strikes when, in May, he asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to determine if some “critical shipments” should be required to continue even in the event of a work stoppage [see “More by Canada’s labor minister will delay …,” Trains News Wire, May 10, 2024]. The CIRB has yet to rule on that question, but recently said it expected to do so by Aug. 9 [see “Ruling on question delaying Canadian rail strikes expected …,” News Wire, July 13, 2024].
“It never seems to be the right time,” O’Regan told CTV News. “There’s always something happening, there’s a lot of news, there’s a lot going on these days, but eventually, at some point, [we] had to make this decision, and we felt this was the right time.”
In a lengthy statement posted on X.com, said he made the decision because “my family comes first. I need to be a better husband, son, uncle, and friend, and this job means, and deserves, a lot of time in order to do it well.”
