MP and previous contender for Conservative leadership, Scott Aitchison, is anticipated to step down from his position later this autumn, as per two sources disclosed to CBC News. A senior Conservative insider mentioned that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was informed last week about Aitchison’s intent to exit at the conclusion of the fall session. The announcement of Aitchison’s resignation was slated for the upcoming week, as confirmed by CTV News.
Aitchison will be joining a group of Conservative MPs who have expressed a desire to withdraw from electoral politics in recent times. Recently, Prime Minister Mark Carney appointed ex-Conservative MP Richard Martel to the Senate at the start of summer, and Martel was sworn in this week. Former MPs Cathay Wagantall and Larry Brock have also stepped down within the last month.
Representing Ontario’s Parry Sound-Muskoka riding since the 2019 election, Aitchison had run for Conservative leadership in 2022, with Pierre Poilievre emerging as the victor. Aitchison, who ranked fifth in the leadership contest, was designated as Poilievre’s housing critic, focusing on housing issues during his campaign.
A comment request made to Aitchison’s office went unanswered at the time of reporting. If Aitchison resigns, it would result in another vacancy in the House, where six seats are currently unoccupied. Apart from Brock and Wagantall, former Liberal cabinet minister Steven Guilbeault formally resigned last month, while former Liberal MP Shaun Chen resigned in mid-August.
Moreover, ex-NDP MP Alexandre Boulerice and Bloc Québécois’s Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay have both left federal politics to participate in Quebec’s provincial election.
