Housing Minister Sean Fraser has announced he will leave the federal cabinet during the next shuffle, and will not seek re-election in his Nova Scotia riding.
Fraser told reporters Dec. 16 he was leaving cabinet to spend more time with his wife and two children.
“The past five years has had me reflect on what I hope the next five years to look like,” he said. “And I can tell you, more than anything else, I want to spend more time with my kids, and I hope my kids are spending more time with me.”
Fraser said it had been an “extraordinary privilege” to serve as an MP and cabinet member, adding that he would miss his work and the people.
“It’s like nothing else,” he said. “The chance to have a positive impact on people’s lives, whether at an individual level or on a national scale, is deeply rewarding.”
The housing minister also said he'd had many conversations with Canadians who said the government should focus on improving social programs like housing and health care and protecting the environment, which he said the Liberal Party is “best positioned” to do.
“So I will remain involved and supportive with the Liberal Party of Canada during the next federal election and for a very long time. But for now, Canada will have another housing minister,” he said.
Fraser stressed that his resignation was not tied to his relationship with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or the Liberal government.
“From my point of view, the prime minister has been uniquely supportive of me and the work that I wanted to do in my community,” he said. “He’s been a good partner for me, for my province, and my announcement today is tied only to my desire to be a more present father and to be in my community.”
Fraser, who was first elected in 2015 in the riding of Central Nova, served as immigration minister from October 2021 to July 2023. Following the cabinet shuffle, Fraser was moved to the position of housing minister.
Fraser told reporters he was proud of his work, citing his achievements as bringing Ukrainians and Afghanistan refugees to Canada, ensuring the country had enough immigrants to solve the labour challenges it faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and creating a national plan to solve Canada’s housing problems and help with affordable housing for low-income families.
Finance Minister Freeland Also Resigns
Fraser is one of several cabinet ministers who have announced they are not seeking re-election in recent months, and will, therefore, need to be replaced. These include Sports Minister Carla Qualtrough, National Revenue Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, and Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal.
Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault, who resigned from cabinet in November following allegations about inappropriate business dealings and unclear messaging about his indigenous ancestry, will also need to be replaced. Trudeau is expected to announce a cabinet shuffle this week.
Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland also announced she is resigning from cabinet on Dec. 16. In a letter sent to Trudeau, Freeland said she had been told last week by him that he did not want her to serve as finance minister anymore, and had been offered a different position in cabinet.
Freeland said in her letter that the finance minister needed to have the “full confidence” of Trudeau, and it was “clear that I no longer credibly enjoy that confidence.” While Freeland is set to deliver the Fall Economic Statement later in the day, the letter suggested there were disagreements over how best to manage Canada’s finances over the next few years, and whether the country should be spending money on “costly political gimmicks.”
When Fraser was asked by a reporter about Freeland’s resignation letter, which was published while Fraser was announcing his resignation, he said it was news to him. He also said he could not speak to Freeland’s motivations for leaving her post.
“I had the opportunity to work alongside Minister Freeland as parliamentary secretary during the second half of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. “I found her to be professional, supportive of me as a member of parliament, and I consider her a friend.”
