WATCH ABOVE: Conservative Justice Minister Peter MacKay announced that he will not be seeking re-election in the next federal election at a news conference in Nova Scotia.
Peter MacKay, once described as “tall, athletic, young, blond” by the New York Times, is leaving politics after an 18-year career as a Member of Parliament.
MacKay was first elected to Parliament in 1997 in the Nova Scotia riding of Central Nova and was the final leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada before successfully leading its merger with the Canadian Alliance party led by Stephen Harper.
Mackay has had a successful career as a politician – he led a national party, and served in a number of high-profile cabinet positions including foreign affairs, national defence, and most recently the ministry of justice.
But that’s not what we’re looking at in this story. Instead, we’re looking at the most memorable, tabloid-worthy, moments from his life.
“My heart’s a little banged up”
There’s the old maxim about not dating colleagues – MacKay decided to ignore that sage advice and began a rocky relationship with fellow Conservative MP Belinda Stronach.
The relationship made headlines — especially after she crossed the floor to join the Liberal party in early 2005.
“I think I was like everybody, I was shocked. I didn’t see it coming. I had no idea. I knew she was unhappy,” he told CBC News during an interview at his Nova Scotian farm.
“My head’s clear. My heart’s a little banged up but that will heal.”
He said at the time that he went to his farm to “heal and think a little bit” and arranged a much-criticized photo-op of him at his farm with his Burnese mountain dog.
“You already have her”
Despite having split, MacKay’s relationship with Stronach made headlines in the fall of 2006 when he was accused of making sexist remarks, insinuating she was a dog, in the House of Commons.
WATCH ABOVE: MacKay denies ‘dog’ comment, citing it’s not on Parliamentary record
While then Minister of the Environment Rona Ambrose was standing, MacKay and Liberal MP David McGuinty were trading barbs when McGuinty brought up MacKay’s now-famous mountain dog and MacKay responded suggesting his “dog” was now a sitting Liberal MP.
McGuinty: “What about your dog?”
MacKay: “You already have her.”
The issue was turned over to the Speaker of the House after an official complaint from Liberal MP Mark Holland and MacKay denied ever calling his ex a dog – which is, technically, true.
“Tall, athletic, young, blonde”
For some reason, MacKay couldn’t keep his real, and fictitious, romantic trysts out of the media glare and was rumoured to be dating then U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in the fall of 2006.
It wasn’t true, but that didn’t stop the media, including the New York Times from speculating, and writing two memorable lines about Canada’s then foreign affairs minister.
“Peter MacKay of Canada, the single, sophisticated foreign minister, routinely named Canada’s sexiest M.P. by The Hill Times in Ottawa, and the closest thing to eye candy on the diplomatic circuit. Tall, athletic, young, blond and recently dumped by his girlfriend.”
The newspaper added:
“He has a tan and the build of someone who spends his time on the rugby field, not holed up reading G-8 communiqués. Sure, at 40 years old, he is younger than Ms. Rice, who is 51, but that did not stop gossips from engaging in baseless speculating.”
There was no evidence whatsoever that the two politicians ever dated.
A bad influence?
Justin Trudeau, the leader of the federal Liberal Party, admitted to smoking pot while a Member of Parliament in November 2013 and for that was criticized heavily by the Conservative Party and MacKay who said Trudeau was setting a “very poor example” for Canadians.
WATCH ABOVE: Justice Minister Peter MacKay lumped Liberal leader Justin Trudeau together with beleaguered Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, saying neither helps shed Canada in a favourable light.
“It’s one thing to espouse policies of legalization of marijuana,” MacKay said. “But to go into a school where you have children at an elementary level, a First Nations school in Brandon, and espouse legalization of marijuana … I think is appalling, inappropriate.”
But comedian Rick Mercer shot back on Twitter with a black-and-white photo of MacKay, while likely an undergrad at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, drinking from a funnel.
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