Conservative House Leader Hill calls it a day on the Hill

“I’ve always felt that for politicians the time to go is when things are still going well … when you’ve reached the crest of the hill, but before starting down the other side. For me that time is now.”-- Part of the statement announcing that Prince George- Peace River MP Jay Hill is stepping down. Helpfully translated by the National Post as: “This is as good as it gets folks. It’s all downhill from here.” 

When Canadians eventually return to the voting booths to elect the next Parliament, there will be one name not appearing on the ballot in Prince George- Peace River.  Jay Hill, the long time MP for the region, who started his political career as a member of the Reform Party has decided that after seventeen years in Parliament, the time has come to find some other things to do.

Hill currently the House Leader in Ottawa, has been a power broker of sorts in Northern BC during his time in the Harper government, frequently found making those announcements across the region that occasionally come with an oversized cheque, mostly closer to his Prince George-Peace base, but occasionally out to the further reaches of Northwestern BC.

Over his time in Ottawa, he has been found involved in some of the major political and economic events of the Northwest,.

He has been a frequent booster of expansion of the Port of Prince Rupert's container port plans, no doubt finding that it also provides a fair amount of benefit for Prince George-Peace, through CN Rail's investment in Prince George. Though it now seems that he'll have left office before any of those expansion plans have moved forward towards a start date.

He also was prominent in the events at Ridley Terminals of a year ago which saw Dan Veniez removed as head of the coal terminal after a string of conflicts with federal officials. His riding is a key coal producing region, sohe had a rather strong interest in developments of the terminal and wasn't, as recent history has shown, on the same page as Mr. Veniez.

With his departure much is being made as to what it heralds for the future fortunes of the Harper Government whenever that election day comes along.

While it's doubtful that the Conservatives could lose Prince George-Peace to either of the opposition parties, the fact that a senior member is taking his leave, could as the Post article suggests, mean that the path to re-election for other Conservative MP's may be a little harder  when Canadians next mark their X.

Some of the reviews of his decision to leave federal politics can be found below.

CTV News-- Tory MP Jay Hill will not seek re-election
Alaska Highway News-- Jay Hill won’t seek re-election
Energy city News-- Jay Hill will not seek re-election