Liberal MP and former cabinet minister and astronaut Marc Garneau will be resigning his seat in the House of Commons.."Out of respect, I wish to talk to my caucus first," Garneau said when asked about the announcement by reporters..Garneau, 74, represented the Quebec riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce–Westmount as a Liberal since 2008. He served as minister of Transport in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet from 2015 to 2021, and then as minister of Foreign Affairs from Jan. 2021 to Oct. 2021..Garneau made history in 1984 when he became the first Canadian to fly in space, later becoming the deputy director of Canada's astronaut program..Prior to that, Garneau was an officer in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1974 to 1989.."I've known and admired Minister Garneau long before I came into politics," Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault said during a Wednesday media scrum. Garneau has had a "long and accomplished career of public service for Canada and Canadians.".Garneau's resignation means the House of Commons will have five vacant seats. Former interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen, who represented Portage-Lisgar, MB, resigned from the House last month. Jim Carr left another vacancy in Winnipeg South Centre after his death, while the Alberta ridings of Calgary Heritage and the Ontario riding of Oxford are up for byelections later in 2023.
