Oshawa MP Colin Carrie not seeking re-election

The federal Conservatives are going to have to pick a new Oshawa candidate for the next election.

Long-time Oshawa MP Colin Carrie announced Wednesday night he will not be seeking re-election.

He shared his plans with the Oshawa Conservative Association’s members and volunteers at their 20th annual General Meeting.

He will be staying on until the next election is called, which is expected to be in 2025.

Carrie was first elected in 2004 and has held the post for 20 years.

He released the following statement about his decision:

“I’m eternally grateful to Oshawa’s constituents for the trust and support you’ve placed in me over the two decades that I’ve served our community in Parliament. I’ll continue to serve as your Member of Parliament until the House is dissolved and the writs of election are issued for Canada’s next general election, widely expected in 2025.

When I was first elected on a steamy summer evening in June 2004, my daughter Grace was just two years old and my sons Aiden and Liam were 8 and 10. During this time, my wife Elizabeth has served as our family’s rock and shown the patience of a saint at every turn. I’m also grateful for the encouragement and support of my dear mother, sister and brothers – and I hope that I’ve lived up to the values of service and compassion held dear by my late father, a Royal Canadian Navy officer.

It’s been the honour of my life to serve Oshawa’s families, Seniors, students, charities, cultural and arts groups, indigenous and Métis people and, particularly, our city’s Veterans, Army Reserve soldiers and young cadets. I’ll forever hold dear the privilege of welcoming so many new Canadians who chose to make Oshawa their new home.

Now is the right time to clear a path for another Conservative voice to represent our community – an individual who’ll commit to making life more affordable for Oshawa families by fixing the budget, scrapping the carbon tax, upholding our freedoms, rebuilding our Armed Forces, and ensuring that Oshawa receives its fair share of federal investment.

I have every confidence that my friend Pierre Poilievre – with whom I was elected in 2004 – and our Conservative caucus, will form Canada’s next government. I know that Pierre and my colleagues will work tirelessly to improve the lives of millions of anxious Canadians and restore our nation’s place in the world.

In making this announcement now, our Conservative members will have time to freely and fairly elect an outstanding candidate to serve as Oshawa’s Member in the 45th Parliament
and provide a strong Oshawa voice in our new Conservative government.

Over the coming months I’ll be working hard to ensure passage of Bill C-320, An Act to Amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (disclosure of information to victims), which received rare unanimous support in the House of Commons this past February and will move to a Second Reading in the Senate next week. This very simple Bill has the potential to bring much-needed comfort and transparency to countless victims of crime, survivors and their families across our country.

Here at home, I look forward to thanking – on a much more personal level – the scores of volunteers and supporters within Oshawa’s Conservative family who’ve helped me and stood by me in this shared journey since those early days in December 2003 when our movement was re-united by my friends the Right Honourable Stephen Harper and the Honourable Peter MacKay. Over these past 20 years, Oshawa’s Conservative family has planted deep roots for further success and, I believe, shifted our city’s political trajectory for generations to come.

To these individuals, along with every member of my staff – past, present and those no longer with us – and to the thousands of unsung individuals who work to improve every facet of life across Oshawa, I owe a profound debt of gratitude; a debt which I may never be able to fully repay.”

Photo courtesy of @ColinCarrieCPC on X