MP Wayne Long will not reoffer in next election

The Liberal MP for Saint John-Rothesay will not be putting his name on the federal ballot for a fourth time.

Wayne Long took to social media Tuesday to announce he will not be reoffering in the next election.

In an interview, the 59-year-old said after three terms in government, he has decided it is time for a change.

“I honestly believe that change is good. It’ll be great for somebody with new ideas and new energy to come in and go at the riding in a different way,” he said.

The former seafood executive and Saint John Sea Dogs president was first elected in 2015, defeating former Conservative MP Rodney Weston by nearly 8,000 votes.

He held on in the 2019 and 2021 elections but the margins were much tighter than his first victory seven-and-a-half years ago.

Long has been an outspoken member of Parliament during his time, often going against party lines.

The MP said that has allowed him to stand up for his constituents and be Saint John-Rothesay’s voice in Ottawa, rather than the other way around.

“There are those that would say ‘it cost you with respect to a cabinet position or a parliamentary secretary position’ but what it has done is it allowed me to freewheel,” said Long.

“It’s allowed me to grind and get after ministers and departments and bring more funding to Saint John-Rothesay. In the end, it’s about me delivering for this riding.”

Long said he is proud of his track record in delivering bringing “over a billion dollars” of federal money to the riding over the past seven years.

But the job is not always easy. Long said you are away from home for nearly half of the year and “never really get a break.”

“I’ve got a lot to be proud of and I’ll look back on these years as some of the best years of my life,” he said.

As for what comes next, Long said he is not sure what the future will hold, but he has not ruled out a run in provincial politics.

“I’ve still got a lot left to give Saint John-Rothesay and New Brunswick and I want to contribute in another way.”