Rodney MacDonald is leaving provincial politics, six weeks after stating he had “no intentions of going anywhere” when he resigned as party leader for the Progressive Conservatives.
The former Nova Scotia premier and longtime MLA for Inverness issued a release Wednesday stating he would be resigning his seat in the Nova Scotia legislature before the fall sitting of the House of Assembly.
“I’ve had a lot of time to think about and consider the past 10 years,” MacDonald told Metro by phone from Inverness Co. “I have a young family – my son is only 11 years old, so I spent most of his life on the road as a MLA, premier and cabinet minister. So I felt it was time for a change in that respect.
“I’ve also had my opportunity over the past 10 years to contribute and hopefully I’ve given a little bit back to all the people who have given to me.”
MacDonald was first elected to the provincial legislature in July 1999 and served as premier for over three years until his minority government was handed a decisive defeat by the NDP last June. The Tories won just 10 seats in that election, dropping them to third place behind the Liberals.
Since then, MacDonald’s name has been linked to rumours he is set to receive a senate appointment from Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
“This has nothing to do with anything – no jobs, no appointments,” MacDonald proclaimed. “It’s simply a decision I made. I haven’t even decided what I’ll be doing. It has nothing to do with any of the rumours that are out there.”
In regards to his legacy in provincial politics, MacDonald said he “would let others decide what I may have been able to contribute.”
