Ted Menzies, the MP for Macleod, has announced that he is resigning his seat.
He made the announcement on Twitter on Wednesday morning.
In the message, he says:
“Today I am resigning as MP for Macleod. Thank you to Sandy my family my staff & all who have been a part of this phase of my life #movingon”
Menzies tells CTV Calgary that he was given a job offer in the private sector. He added that he cleared everything through the ethics commissioner before proceeding with the opportunity.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement on Ted Menzies' departure from Parliament Wednesday morning, saying:
“On behalf of the entire Conservative caucus, I would like to thank Ted Menzies for his many years of devoted service to his constituents of Macleod in the Parliament of Canada, and for his tremendous contributions to our Government. Since his election to the House of Commons, Ted has been a strong voice and advocate for Alberta, and a valued member within our caucus."
He, along with his wife Laureen and all of Ted's friends and colleagues also extended their best wishes to Ted in his future endeavours and thank him for his years of service.
Menzies announced on July 2 that he would not run for re-election in the next federal election.
At the time, he said in a statement that he came to that decision after witnessing what some of his constituents had to endure during the heavy flooding that hit southern Alberta in June.
“Witnessing the effects of the floods across Southern Alberta, and the devastation of High River and other communities, I have decided that it is important for me to be here more often,” he said in his July statement.
“What brought me to Ottawa was a love of community and the desire to help Albertans and Canadians the best way I knew possible.”
He was first elected to office in 2004.
He served as Parliamentary Secretary to Jim Flaherty, the Minister of Finance until he asked Harper to remove him from the post in the cabinet shuffle this past summer.
(With files from Chris Epp and CTVNews.ca)
