Labour Minister Seamus O鈥橰egan is stepping down from cabinet and will not be seeking re-election in the next federal contest, the Prime Minister鈥檚 Office confirmed Thursday.
A statement from that office said a replacement for O鈥橰egan would be sworn in at Rideau Hall on Friday.
鈥淭he prime minister extends his sincere thanks to Minister O鈥橰egan for his exceptional leadership and dedication to making life better for Canadians, including for unions, workers and organized labour,鈥� the statement read.
O鈥橰egan will remain the MP representing the Newfoundland riding of St. John鈥檚 South-Mount Pearl until the next election, which is set to take place by fall 2025.
A source with knowledge of the matter said a broader cabinet shuffle is not expected to take place.
In a statement on Thursday, O鈥橰egan said his family comes first and he needs to be a better husband, son, uncle and friend.
鈥淢y friend Seamus has been a pragmatic voice and a relentless advocate around the cabinet table. But to do that work well, you have to sacrifice a lot, and ask so much of your family. I respect his decision whole-heartedly,鈥� Trudeau said in a social-media post.
O鈥橰egan had alluded to the need to spend more time with family in a speech last month in Toronto.
His father died during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he is a caregiver for his mother, who lives in St. John鈥檚.
O鈥橰egan told the Canadian Club Toronto crowd that he always has his phone volume turned up in case it rings and it鈥檚 his mom on the line.
鈥淚f, God forbid, something happens to mom right now in St. John鈥檚, I鈥檓 the first one to get the call. I鈥檓 number one on her lifeline鈥� he said in his address.
O鈥橰egan, 53, was elected as a member of Parliament in 2015 and has served as a minister since 2017, overseeing several portfolios.
He took on his current portfolio in 2021 and was the federal point person on labour issues as several major strikes unfolded.
That included a national walk-out involving thousands of federal public servants last year, as well as a strike at Canada鈥檚 busiest port in Vancouver, where the movement of billions of dollars in trade stalled during an extended impasse.
As a cabinet minister, O鈥橰egan introduced multiple government bills. Most recently, he shepherded legislation to ban replacement workers during strikes and lockouts, a New Democrat priority and the fulfilment of a decades-long push from unions.
While serving in the Indigenous services portfolio, he oversaw a bill that sought to give Indigenous groups and communities jurisdiction over child and family services.
鈥淪o much of my work in politics has been about dignity,鈥� O鈥橰egan said in a speech to the Canadian Club Toronto last month.
鈥淒ignity for veterans, dignity for Indigenous peoples, dignity for workers.鈥�
When O鈥橰egan was veterans affairs minister, Trudeau apologized on behalf of Canada for decades of discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community 鈥� an occasion for the minister to open up about his own identity as a gay man.
O鈥橰egan shared that it wasn鈥檛 until after he became an MP and went through rehabilitation for alcohol addiction in late 2015 that he realized his sexuality was connected to his substance abuse.
鈥淭here鈥檚 the battle that is fought on, 鈥楾his is my identity, this is who I am,鈥濃�� O鈥橰egan told The Canadian Press in 2017.
鈥淭here is also the battle of, 鈥榃ho the hell is the government to tell me who to love? Who the hell is the government to tell me who I can鈥檛 love?鈥欌��
O鈥橰egan was previously known to many Canadians as a journalist and for his 10 years as co-host of CTV鈥檚 Canada AM.
Before entering politics, he was already a longtime friend of Trudeau鈥檚, having been a member of the prime minister鈥檚 wedding party when he got married in 2005.
O鈥橰egan and his husband Stelios Doussis also travelled with Trudeau on a family vacation to the Bahamas in 2016.
