Winnipeg MP Dan Vandal not seeking re-election

MP Dan Vandal not seeking re-election A familiar face in Manitoba politics has decided to give up his cabinet seat.

A Winnipeg MP is among several cabinet ministers not seeking re-election.

Dan Vandal, who currently serves as Minister of Northern Affairs, has confirmed he won't be running to represent Saint Boniface-Saint Vital in the next election.

In a statement, Vandal said it was a difficult decision, as he has served in politics for nearly 30 years, but said he felt it was time to move on to the next step.

"I am working with the Prime Minister’s Office to ensure an orderly transition of my Cabinet positions," Vandal wrote, adding he fully supports Justin Trudeau's continued leadership of the party.

Vandal was a Winnipeg city councillor from 1995 to 2004 and 2006 to 2014. He made the jump to federal politics in 2015.

In addition to serving as Minister of Northern Affairs, Vandal is also responsible for economic development agencies in the Prairies and the north.

Vandal's resignation comes as two other cabinet members - Filomena Tassi and Carla Qualtrough – confirmed they wouldn't be seeking re-election. Tassi is the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, while Qualtrough is the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity.

A cabinet shuffle is expected.

Vandal said he will be serving out the rest of his term.

Vandal's seat valuable in upcoming election: professor

Christopher Adams, a political science professor at the University of Manitoba, said the resignations are not a good sign for the Liberals as they head into an election.

"It doesn't look good when you start having members of your cabinet or general caucus members deciding to leave," he said.

"This happened with Heather Stephenson when she was at the end of her premiership and the end of Greg Selinger's premiership."

Adams said Vandal's high profile in cabinet makes his seat a valuable one, and he expects it to be in play during the next election.

"It's seen as an important seat and it's seen as a seat that can go over to the Conservatives," he said, noting Shelly Glover represented the riding under the Stephen Harper Tories from 2008 to 2015.

-With files from CTV's Rachel Aiello.