OTTAWA, May 27 (Reuters) – Former Canadian cabinet minister Steven Guilbeault said on Wednesday he plans to step down from his seat in parliament, citing his desire to fight for environmental protections after objecting to decisions by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government.
Guilbeault’s departure will reduce the Liberal Party’s slim parliamentary majority to one seat.
In a statement on X, Guilbeault said he would step down from his seat representing downtown Montreal this summer, but would remain a member of the Liberal caucus until then.
“It is time for me to pursue my fight for environmental protection and the fight against climate change in a different way,” he said. “I wish to continue this fight for the generations who will inherit our precious and unique blue planet.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Carney thanked Guilbeault for his contributions, saying they worked together when Carney was a United Nations special representative for climate.
“It’s for him to make decisions about his career,” Carney said. “I wish him all the best and I’m sure in some way, shape or form, we’ll have an opportunity to continue to work together on issues of interest.”
QUIT CABINET OVER CLIMATE RULE ROLLBACK
In November, Guilbeault, then the identity and culture minister, quit Carney’s cabinet over his opposition to a deal Ottawa made with the oil-producing province of Alberta to roll back certain climate rules to spur investment in energy production.
Guilbeault, who was a Greenpeace activist before running for office, previously served as environment minister under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Carney’s government secured a majority in April, after three special elections in Ontario and Quebec gave his Liberal Party 174 seats in the 343-seat House of Commons.
Carney had said a majority would help him deal more effectively with the trade war started by U.S. President Donald Trump, in addition to likely sparing him another election for years and making it easier to pass legislation. The Liberals need 172 seats for a bare majority.
Laura Stephenson, a professor of political science at the University of Western Ontario, said Guilbeault’s resignation showed some parts of the Liberal Party are not on board with Carney’s policies prioritizing the economy.
She said several other Liberal lawmakers have suggested they might also quit, possibly leaving Carney with another minority government.
“It’s tricky to balance concerns from the West that deal with energy while also supporting those who like the party’s more leftist-environmental bent,” she said. “Carney’s got a clear vision, but whether his party will unite behind him at all times is not clear.”
(Reporting by Maria ChengEditing by Tomasz Janowski, Rod Nickel)
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