Joy Smith leaving federal politics
By: Mia Rabson
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/Joy-Smith-leaving-federal-politics-288403021.html
OTTAWA – Veteran Winnipeg Conservative MP Joy Smith will announce this morning she is stepping away from politics.
Smith, first elected in Kildonan-St. Paul in 2004, will not seek re-election in the seat in the federal campaign.
"I had to really re-examine what I was doing," said Smith, who will turn 68 next month.
She is the second Conservative MP in a week to announce a departure from federal politics, following Winnipeg South MP Rod Bruinooge last week.
Smith was re-elected three times, increasing her share of the vote each time.
Smith had dedicated much of her time as an MP to battling human trafficking, her eyes opened to the cause by her son, a police officer in Brandon who worked with exploited children.
She had two private member's bills passed amending the criminal code to address human trafficking, including introducing mandatory minimum penalties for trafficking children, and making it illegal for
Canadians to go abroad for the purposes of sexual exploitation.
She also played a key role in the last year on the government’s new prostitution law, required when the Supreme Court struck down the existing laws as unconstitutional. The new bill criminalizes the purchase of sex.
She has established a foundation in her name to help fund projects to help victims and awareness programs to fight human trafficking in Canada.
She told the Free Press she thinks the best way for her to continue her work on the issue of human trafficking will now come outside of the House of Commons.
"I’m really excited about what I can do outside of Parliament," she said.
Prior to being elected to Parliament Smith was the MLA for Fort Garry for one term. She was a high school math and science teacher for more than two decades prior to entering politics.
Smith was nominated in her riding last April but another nomination meeting will now take place.
She said she doesn’t know specifically anyone who will step in to run but expects several people to do so.
Among the names likely to be discussed are Winnipeg City Councillor Jeff Browaty and Tory MLA Ron Schuler, both of whom represent a ward or riding within Kildonan-St. Paul. However Schuler was recently nominated to run again in the provincial riding of St. Paul and Browaty was just re-elected last fall in North Kildonan. Browaty worked as a staffer in Smith’s Winnipeg constituency office before being elected to city hall in 2006.
The Liberals have nominated former NDP MLA MaryAnn Mihychuk to run in Kildonan-St.Paul. The NDP have yet to nominated a candidate.
Smith’s departure will make this riding one to watch in the next election.
More than two dozen Conservative MPs have announced they won’t seek re-election nationwide, along with eight NDP MPs and five Liberals. The election is scheduled for October but speculation is still high
Prime Minister Stephen Harper could take Canadians to the polls sometime this spring.
Mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca