Peter MacKay: Nearly 20 years in the political spotlight

Peter MacKay has been celebrated for his advocacy for the Canadian Forces,put under fire over the F-35 fiasco, recognized for hisrole in uniting the rightand objectified as Canada's sexiest MP.

As the 49-year-oldminister of justice announces he is stepping downafter nearly 20 years in the House of Commons, we recap some of what made headlines during his political career.

Unite the right

Peter MacKay served as the last leader of the now-defunct federal Progressive Conservative Party. PC leadership rival David Orchard threw his support behind MacKayin the spring of 2003 after MacKay signed a deal promising not to merge with the Canadian Alliance. Just a few months later, MacKaydid just that, merging his partywith the one led by Stephen Harper. Harper won the ensuing leadership bid for the new Conservative Party, which he leads as Prime Minister to this day. MacKaybecomesthelast of theProgressive Conservative MPs serving at the time of the merger to leave the Conservative party.

Bill Casey, a former PC MP who served during the merger, noted the change in astatement Friday."The only members remaining from the merger in the Harper Government are all former Reform Party MPs. There are no Progressive Conservatives," he said. Casey, who was booted from Harper's cabinet caucusin 2007 for voting against his government's budget, is now theLiberalcandidate forCumberland-Colchester in the next election.

Military advocate

MacKaywas popular with the rank and file of the military during his time as minister of national defence. He was the second-longest serving defence minister, serving fromMay 2007 toJuly 2013. In 2007, MacKaywas caught in a rocket attack during a visit to a forward operating base near Kandahar. During his time in theportfolio, he was also criticizedfor the rising price tag for afleet of 65 F-35 fighter jets. MacKay was also forced to defend his use of afederal military search and rescue helicopter after being accused of having it as"his personal chauffeur service."

Judicial appointments

MacKay came under heat earlier this year for having ties to six of the nine judges appointed to the Nova Scotia courts since 2013. That's when MacKay became attorney general andjustice minister. The ties range from personal friendships to political colleagues. The contested appointments include Josh Arnold, who was MacKay's best man at his 2012 wedding, Cindy Cormier, Arnold's wife and MacKay's friend, and Ted Scanlan, past president of the Central Nova riding association (the ridingwhich MacKay represents) and the former campaign manager for his father. A spokesperson for MacKay brushed off the criticisms, telling CBC News that lawyers applying to become judges are assessed and recommendedby a committee, notbyMacKay as the justice minister. "The minister of justice only appoints those recommended by such committees." His highest profileappointment went historically badly, when the Supreme Court rejected his choice of Justice Marc Nadon to join the nation's top court.

Political gaffes

Of course, there's been a few blunders during MacKay's time asMP. One of the most memorable mix-ups happened at an on-stage Q&Awith former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in January 2011. That's whereMacKay, thendefence minister, mistakenly told Schwarzeneggerthat California and British Columbia shared a border. The governor corrected MacKay, reminding him the states of Oregon and Washington lie in between. Anotherless humourousblunderwerethe emailsMacKay sent to his female and malestaff on Mother's Day and Father's Day respectively. In the Mother's Day email,MacKay thanked his female staff for changing diapers and packing lunches,while in the Father's Day email, he lauded his male stafffor moulding and shaping the "next generation of leaders." Many dismissed MacKay'smessages as archaic and patronizing. MacKay will also be remembered for his allegedre-working of the War of 1812. During his2012 Bastille Day speech at the French Embassy in Ottawa, MacKayreportedly told the crowd theFrench fought the Americansbeside Brits. In reality, the French supported the U.S. MacKay's office denied the botch.

New prostitution laws

As justice minister,MacKaytabled acontroversialprostitution bill that came into force last year, the same daymarked as the national day of remembrance and action on violence against women.The Supreme Court of Canada gave thefederal government one year to come up with the legislation after unanimously striking downanti-prostitution laws that prohibitedbrothels, living on the availsof prostitution and communicating in public with clients. Thenew prostitution lawscriminalizethe purchase of sex and advertising its salewhileproviding some legal immunity for sex workers. MacKay has argued the new lawsprotectsex workers by allowing them to hire bodyguards andwork from a regular indoor location. Still, dozens of Canadian organizations and agencies have called for it to be repealed.

Sexiest MP

Routinely namedCanada'ssexiestmaleMPby The Hill Times, MacKay's love life has long been the subject of scrutiny, gossip and rumours. His relationship with fellow Conservative MP Belinda Stronach came to a very public end in 2005 when she crossed thefloor to join Paul Martin's Liberals and MacKay retreated home to a farm inNova Scotia for that infamous,mournfulphoto-op with the family dog. Their names made headlines again over allegations MacKay seem to call Stronach a "dog" aderogatory comment he denied.In January 2012, hemarried NazaninAfshin-Jam, aformer beauty queen and Iranian-Canadian human rights activist. He was previouslyengaged to Jana Juginovic,a CTV executive anddated Lisa Michelle Merrithew, daughter of a former Mulroney-era cabinet minister. MacKay alsohostedformer U.S. Secretary of StateCondoleezzaRice, where they shared Tim Hortons and toured the province. In her memoirs, she devotes almost a full page to MacKay, crediting him with convincing her not to quit her job.