Longtime MP, former House of Commons Speaker Geoff Regan leaving politics

One-time House of Commons Speaker and former federal cabinet minister Geoff Reganhas announced he will not be running for re-election. He will end his decades-long political careerat the end of this mandate, his eighth.

Regan made the announcement in a 13-minute-long monologue posted on his Facebook page Wednesday morning.

The son of former Nova Scotia Liberal premier Gerald Regan was first elected to Parliament in 1993. He was defeated in the next election when the party was shut out of the province, but won the Halifax West seat back in the 2000 general election. He has won every election since then.

Regangained prominence first in 2003 when former prime minister Paul Martin gave him a cabinet post asminister of fisheries. In 2015 he was elected Speaker of the House of Commons and presided over the House for four years.

In his Facebook post,Regan didnot explain what has motivated his decision to leave politics, nor didhe say what he plans to do next.

"I've seen life passes quickly and it's full of interesting things to do, meaningful ways to contribute and marvellous people to encounter," he said. "I have been fortunate in so many ways for the time that I have had in the House of Commons of Canada, and I believe the time has come for me to explore other aspects of life."

Regan currently sits on the Liberal government back benches.

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