Former Liberal justice minister and Quebec member of Parliament David Lametti has announced his departure from politics at the end of the month after eight years.
Lametti made the announcement with “mixed emotions” in a letter to his colleagues posted on his Facebook page Thursday, saying his time as an MP for the Quebec riding of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, a parliamentary secretary and then a cabinet minister “added up to my dream job.”
“I am appreciative of every moment it afforded me, even the difficult ones, and there were a few,” Lametti wrote.
He was first elected in 2015, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed him as federal justice minister and attorney general in 2019.
Lametti was removed from his ministerial duties this past summer when Trudeau shuffled his cabinet as his minority government was plagued with issues including the ongoing housing crisis and inflation. He was replaced by Arif Virani in his roles as attorney general and justice minister.
His tenure included the government’s bail reform legislation, but he faced ongoing criticism as some said it didn’t go far enough or could fail a Charter challenge. He defended it on Global News’ The West Block, saying the “targeted” measures address just one of the many factors behind rising crime.
About a month prior to leaving cabinet, Lametti also introduced the government’s action plan to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which now falls under Virani’s purview.
Lametti took on the role as attorney general and justice minister in 2019 after Jody Wilson-Raybould was removed from the post during a contentious cabinet shuffle that year.
The former lawyer says he plans to join the law firm Fasken Martineau DuMoulin as counsel following his departure as MP, where one of his focuses will be Indigenous law.
He said his last day will be Jan. 31.
— with files from The Canadian Press