Liberal MP Marco Mendicino says he won't run again

OTTAWA — Liberal MP and former cabinet minister Marco Mendicino said Thursday that he won’t seek reelection in the Toronto riding of Eglinton-Lawrence. Mendicino has been a frequent critic of the Trudeau government’s approach to Israel and the war in Gaza, and he made that clear again in a statement posted on social media announcing his departure. “It is no secret that I have disagreed with the current direction of the federal government on our foreign policy vis-à-vis our deteriorated relations with the State of Israel, our inadequate handling of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and our enfeebled role in the Middle East,” he wrote.

Mendicino has disagreed publicly with the government’s call for an unconditional ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas fighters in Gaza, and has said he disagrees with some of Canada’s votes at the United Nations on the issue. Mendicino said while it has been the “honour of a lifetime” to represent his Toronto riding, this will be his last term. “As much as I love the job, this is the right decision, at the right time for me and my family,” he wrote.



In 2015, Mendicino won the nomination to run as the Liberal candidate in Eglinton-Lawrence over former Conservative MP Eve Adams, who had just crossed the floor to sit as a Liberal. Adams had the endorsement of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau in the nomination contest. In that year’s general election, he beat Conservative MP Joe Oliver, who was then the minister of finance.

In his statement, Mendicino said he was proud of his team for pushing against the odds during the nomination contest and the election campaign that followed. “Together, not only did we win a fiercely contested nomination, but we went on to successfully take the seat back in a tough-fought general election,” he said. Mendicino was appointed to cabinet as immigration minister after the Liberals won the 2019 election.

A former Crown prosecutor, he became public safety minister in 2021. He was dropped from cabinet in the summer of 2023 after coming under heavy criticism for being unaware when Correctional Services of Canada transferred notorious serial killer Paul Bernado to a medium-security institution. Mendicino’s ministerial staff were informed of the transfer, but did not share the information with the minister.

In his parting statement, Mendicino said he has been approached by many supporters who encouraged him to remain in politics. “They feel as though I can and should continue to play an active leadership role in our city, which has been unfortunately paralyzed by gridlock, in need of more support for law enforcement and stalled for progress,” he said. “I am grateful for their encouragement and I welcome hearing more from people on how I might best support our hometown.

” Mendicino said he will stay on as an MP until the next election. Trudeau’s minority Liberal government could face a confidence vote as soon as the end of January. Recent polls suggest the Liberals trail the Conservatives by more than 20 percentage points in public support.

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