Rideau-Vanier Councillor Mathieu Fleury confirms he will not be making the leap to federal politics.
Fleury was considered a possible contender to run for the Liberal Party in the upcoming by-election to replace the late Mauril Bélanger in Ottawa-Vanier.
But on Thursday, Fleury told CFRA’s Ottawa Now with Evan Solomon he’s staying put at City Hall.
“It’s flattering for me to be approached and considered,” Fleury says. “But, I like what I’m doing. We’re 30 days away from Ottawa 2017 starting; I’m working on important files with Ottawa Community Housing, the truck tunnel, all that’s going on with LRT around Lees, Campus and Rideau Station. Lots going on.”
Fleury says he spent a fair amount of time considering the option.
“It’s never easy,” he says. “You always want to keep doors open, you never want to close them and certainly at times when you do, you take that very seriously. I’m comfortable where I am today, but I don’t know where that will take me in the medium- and long-term.”
Bélanger died in August, after a battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease. He had been the MP for Ottawa-Vanier from his election in 1995 until his death.
A by-election date for the riding has yet to be called.