First Canadian in space and Longtime Liberal MP Marc Garneau to resign his seat in the House of Commons

Longtime liberal politician Marc Garneau on Wednesday revealed his decision to resign his seat at the House of Commons to his Quebec caucus colleagues. MP Garneau currently represents Notre-Dame-de-Grâce-Westmount, Quebec.

“Out of respect I wish to speak to my caucus first,” MP Garneau stated to reporters on Wednesday.

Speaking of the resignation, Industry Minister Francois Philippe Champagne stated,” He’s an inspiring figure for those of us who came in 2015. He is a man who inspires respect and he is a man who inspires achievement.”

“When thinking about Marc Garneau, we think about a man who has always served Canadians. Not only is he a great Canadian, but he was one of the first to inspire us by going to space, but also taking risks,” Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly stated about the former astronaut, describing him as a friend.

“He has a long and accomplished career of public service for Canada and Canadians, and I’ll be eternally grateful for everything he’s done for all of us,” expressed Steven Guilbeault, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

Garneau served in the navy before being chosen as an astronaut in 1983. On Shuttle Mission 41-G in 1984, he made history by being the first Canadian astronaut to travel to space.

He was chosen to serve in the Parliament in 2008 and later assumed several roles in the cabinet, including that of transport minister in 2015 and then that of minister of foreign affairs. After the 2021 federal election, he was removed from that position as well as Justin Trudeau’s cabinet.

According to media reports, Garneau is scheduled to make a speech in the parliament on Wednesday, where he will officially be announcing his decision to step down.