Fort McMurray-Athabasca Member of Parliament Brian Jean is resigning as of Jan. 17.
In a prepared statement, Jean offered little by way of explanation, saying, “In every job, there is a right time to move on. For me, that time has come. I’ve spent the past 10 years fighting for the priorities of northern Albertans in Ottawa and now I feel I’m needed more right here at home in Fort McMurray.”
Jean has served as MP for almost 10 years.
He credited a recent “positive decision on the Northern Gateway Pipeline” and improved regional infrastructure with creating a situation he felt good about passing along to a successor.
Jean has been a tireless advocate of the controversial Northern Gateway Pipeline and the Keystone XL Pipeline. He also lobbied for the twinning of Highway 63, to which the federal government committed $150 million in February 2006, two years after Jean was first elected.
Jean summed up his priorities as having been “a strong Canadian economy, the protection of individual rights, the elimination of the long barrel firearms registry, fiscal responsibility of government and responding to all constituents’ concerns.”
Neither Jean nor a representative from his office were available for comment as of Friday afternoon, when the announcement was made.
