By paNOW

Vellacott announces he will not seek re-election

Jul 26, 2013 | 1:42 AM

Saskatoon-Wanuskewin MP, Maurice Vellacott will not run in the next federal election.

The long-time politician said he won’t run again because he wants to spend more time with family – including spending more time with one of his sons, who is in his 20s, who has some significant mental-health challenges.

It’s a decision Vellacott said he has been thinking about since the last election, adding the possible changes to federal riding boundaries in Saskatchewan wasn’t why he made the decision. However, he said that he still doesn’t support the changes.

“I don’t want something rigged and fixed and doesn’t represent the province.”

Vellacott plans to keep busy for his next two years in politics.

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“I’ve still got an equal parenting bill … it’s been big on my heard, there are a lot of stories surrounding that, so I’m going to stay the course on that one,” he said.

And he will continue to push for rights of unborn children and working with women who have unplanned pregnancies.

“Standing alongside women, I certainly anticipate to do that in my two years remaining in this particularly role and then beyond as well. If that would be, God-willing, I would complete a law degree and it would be from that platform and that framework as well,” Vellacott said.

By the time his term ends in 2015, he will have spent 19 years in office.

The Saskatoon-Wanuskewin MP has been elected six times. He co-chaired the Parliamentary Pro-life Caucus for 10 years and founded the Canada-Turkey Friendship group.

The timing of his announcement isn’t random.

“It’s the appropriate thing at this junction to clear the decks … so other good people can step forward,” he said.

Vellacott said he has already decided to endorse someone for the next election and that person is set to announce the intention to run, by the end of next week.

With files from News Talk Radio’s David Kirton and Brent Bosker

news@panow.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow