Brenda Shanahan will not be running in the next election

Brenda Shanahan, the Member of Parliament representing Châteauguay-Lacolle, will not be seeking a fourth term in the next federal election. Ms. Shanahan made the decision in order to care for her 90-year-old mother, who lives with her.

Translation Amanda Bennett

"I've been thinking about this for some time. I'm past retirement age, I'm in good health, I'm doing well. But it's really about my mother,” she explained in an interview. Her mother had a fall last autumn, and is now less independent than before.

The Liberal MP announced her decision in the House of Commons on 22 November, thanking the voters who had placed their trust in her since 2015. The 2021 election was particularly close between Ms Shanahan and Bloc Québécois candidate Patrick O'Hara. She won the election by 12 votes, following a judicial recount.

"Justin is my leader!"

The day after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada on January 6, Brenda Shanahan praised the work of her leader in a Facebook post and thanked him "for believing and working for a stronger, fairer and greener Canada!"

In an interview with Le Soleil de Châteauguay before the holiday break, as the Prime Minister was already facing a political crisis within his party for several weeks, the MP for Châteauguay-Lacolle said that she still had confidence in him. "He's my leader," she said. ’ I don't think I would have been interested in politics without Justin." She said that it was when she heard him announce in 2015 that candidate nominations would be open to all that she developed an interest in politics and the riding in which she lives.

Chair of the Liberal Caucus

Ms. Shanahan is chair of the national Liberal caucus, as the party goes through an internal crisis. "It's my role to make sure that everyone in the caucus has a chance to have their say. Not everyone chooses to express themselves, but there is a safe and confidential space to do so, both with our colleagues and with our leader,’ she explained.

The MP admitted that the role was not an easy one, as she had to "manage everyone's expectations". The Châteauguay resident pointed out that her years as a student in residence at McGill University, where she organised numerous events, were useful in her role as caucus chair. She stressed that she never aspired to a ministerial post.

In the next federal election, the riding will be called Châteauguay-Les Jardins-de-Napierville, rather than Châteauguay-Lacolle, a request the MP has been working on for a long time.

As she prepares to enter her final months as a federal MP, Ms. Shanahan is proud of her record, highlighting in particular the steps taken to protect the Châteauguay-Léry green corridor, as well as the Kwé 55 housing project and the subsidy for the Châteauguay indoor pool.