Ontario’s Liberal Speaker Dave Levac won’t run in 2018 election

BRANTFORD, Ont. – The Liberal Speaker of Ontario’s legislature won’t run again for his Brant seat in next year’s election.

Premier Kathleen Wynne’s Liberal government has been struggling in the polls, but Dave Levac said Friday his decision is not an indictment of the party.

“My retirement from provincial politics is made knowing some will question or even use my announcement against my party and my leader,” he said. “That would be unfortunate and wrong. Nothing could be further from the truth. Simply put, between my career as an educator and provincial politics, I will be in my 45th year of public service in 2018.”

Levac has been the legislature’s Speaker since 2011, taking a firm though sometimes futile stand against politicians’ heckling in question period.

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Wynne said the fact that Levac was elected to that role on the second ballot with “resounding” support from all parties is a testament to his reputation.

“Over the last six years he has proven himself to be one of the most effective Speakers in modern history,” Wynne said in a statement. “And when Dave retires at the end of this legislative session, he will have been the longest serving Speaker in the history of the Ontario legislature. I know all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will miss Dave’s steady hand, principled approach and calm demeanour.”

Levac was first elected to represent Brant in 1999, and after the Liberals came to power in 2003 he served in various parliamentary assistant roles before becoming Speaker.

Before entering politics, Levac worked as an elementary school teacher and principal.