Liberal MP Nicola Di Iorio says he's quitting politics, cites family reasons

Liberal MP Nicola Di Iorio appears in this undated image. (liberal.ca)

OTTAWA -- Popular Quebec Liberal MP Nicola Di Iorio announced Wednesday that he's leaving politics for family reasons.

Di Iorio was first elected to the House of Commons in 2015 to represent the Montreal riding of Saint-Leonard-Saint-Michel -- a seat he won in a landslide with nearly 65 per cent of the vote.

He said he has yet to set a precise departure date but expects to be gone by the summer. He said there is a specific family matter that triggered his decision to resign but wouldn't go into details.

"My loved ones matter to me, their well-being is of utmost importance to me," Di Iorio said.

"I've been away for three years and I do have to consider also their needs and their well-being."

Although he's leaving with 18 months left in his term, Di Iorio declared "mission accomplished." He took credit for a number of initiatives, including mobilizing support for completion of Montreal Metro's Blue Line, creation of a national impaired driving prevention week and creation of a national Italian heritage month.

Di Iorio's time in Parliament has not been all positive. Last year, he was forced to apologize for a sexist remark aimed at then-Conservative MP Dianne Watts.

According to Watts, she and Di Iorio were attending an in camera committee meeting when her cellphone rang. The ring tone prompted Di Iorio to say: "Where's your pole to slide down on?" -- which Watts took to be a reference to a stripper pole.

A lawyer before entering the Commons, Di Iorio taught law and specialized in labour and employment law.

He said he plans to continue working on issues that resonate with him, including the ongoing social impact of technological advances.