Industry Minister James Moore leaving federal politics

Stephen Harper’s Conservatives have lost another high-profile minister months before October’s federal election.

Thestar.com
June 19, 2015
By Bruce Campion-Smith

Stephen Harper’s Conservative government is grappling with another looming high-profile departure as Industry Minister James Moore, a well-liked politician and moderate voice in the party, announced Friday he won’t be running in the October election.

Moore, the MP for Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam, caught Conservative insiders and fellow MPs off guard with his announcement that he would be leaving politics, citing family and the health of his young son as the reason.

“Balancing family responsibilities while in public life is always a challenge,” Moore said in a statement.

“This is particularly true when you have a child with special needs. Recently my wife and I received some difficult news about the health of our beautiful son Spencer,” said Moore, who did not go into specifics.

In his statement, Moore said he would finish out his term and return to B.C. to “pursue new opportunities and be closer to my young family.”

He is the latest in a string of cabinet ministers who have either quit or signalled they won’t be running again this fall - Justice Minister Peter MacKay, John Baird, who left as foreign affairs minister, Heritage Minister Shelly Glover and International Development Minister Christian Paradis, in addition to the more than two dozen backbench Tories who won’t return to Ottawa.

In making the announcement, Moore, who also serves as the political minister for B.C., said that he had “every confidence” the Conservatives would be re-elected in the upcoming fall vote.

But after five terms and 15 years in office - and with family health challenges at home - Moore added, “I have concluded it is impossible for me to seek another term in office.”

Conservative commentator Tim Powers said the announcement was a surprise but understandable given Moore’s worries about his son and the bruising travel schedule that keeps cabinet ministers away from home.

“I think anyone would understand you put that priority first,” said Powers, vice-chairman of Summa Strategies. “It sounds like his son and wife ... need support and help now.”

Moore had been eyed as a potential leadership successor to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. But Powers wasn’t ruling that out, despite Friday’s announcement. At age 39, Moore has time to return to politics down the road, as do others such as MacKay and Baird, Powers said.

“He could go off and do many other things in B.C., be closer to home and perhaps when the health and well-being of his son improves, he could certainly come back into politics,” he said.

“He’s a policy wonk, he’s a political keener. That doesn’t just disappear,” Powers said in an interview.

Moore was respected on both sides of the aisle in the Commons. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May took to Twitter to convey her best wishes to Moore and his family. “Sending best wishes to you, Courtney and Spencer. Love and thanks for being a friend, Elizabeth,” May said.

A spokesperson for Harper praised Moore’s years of public service.

“As the minister’s statement makes clear, he has a special needs son who is facing health issues,” Stephen Lecce said in an email.

“We fully understand his need to spend more time with his family and wish the Minister, his wife Courtney and his son Spencer well,” he said.

Liberal MP Irwin Cotler, who himself is leaving politics, said the departure of Moore and others will hurt the Tories as they ready for an election.

“These are not only senior ministers, but they played important roles in political campaigns. They’re respected people. And so I think this will have negative fallout for the Conservative party,” Cotler told reporters Friday.

First elected in 2000 as a Canadian Alliance MP, Moore has served seven years in cabinet, holding the portfolios of industry and Canadian heritage.

“I want to thank the prime minister for his friendship and support when I have needed it most,” Moore said.

“To my amazing and loving family, thank you for your support, patience and understanding over all these years. I simply could not have survived in public life without your love and I am so lucky for the gift of you in my life,” Moore said.