A Conservative stalwart in the GTA is not running again.
Colin Carrie, who has represented the riding of Oshawa for the Tories since 2004, said he will not stand for re-election as an MP.
He announced he will not be seeking an eighth term Wednesday evening at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 43.
“Now is the right time to clear a path for another Conservative voice to represent our community,” Carrie said. “An individual who’ll commit to making life more affordable for Oshawa families by fixing the budget, scrapping the carbon tax, upholding our freedoms, rebuilding our Armed Forces, and ensuring that Oshawa receives its fair share of federal investment.”
In an interview with True North, Carrie said he has already been in Ottawa longer than he’d intended.
“I’m just so grateful and honoured that the people of Oshawa re-elected me seven times, but I originally told my wife I’d do this for about ten years,” Carrie said. “So, it’s been a little longer than that.”
Carrie will continue to serve as the MP for Oshawa until the House of Commons is dissolved and the writs of election are issued, which is expected to be in October 2025.
After he retires from politics, Carrie said he plans to enjoy his time off.
“I’m going to be doing absolutely nothing for a short period of time except spending time with my lovely wife, who, you know, after living with a politician for 20 years. I must say, I’m very fortunate that she still loves me and likes to spend time with me,” he said.
He said he looks forward to a Conservative candidate in the riding who shares his dream of being the best local member of Parliament they can be.
“It’s all about serving our community and the people we represent,” Carrie said. “I’ll be supporting that person, whoever it may be. And I know there’s wonderful people here that can step up and take this vocation on.”
Carrie was first elected in June 2004, at the same time as Pierre Poilievre, the current leader of the Conservative party. It was the first election for the new Conservative Party of Canada, the product of a merger between the Alliance and Progressive Conservative parties.
He recalls being part of the conservative movement when it was “reunited” by Stephen Harper and Peter MacKay to form the party and reflected on his achievements as Oshawa’s Conservative MP.
“When I was first elected, I think (Oshawa) barely got $1.5 million in federal funding over the decade of the last Liberal MP. And it was really noticeable,” he said. “So, I was really focused on returning Oshawa’s taxpayer dollars here. And, and I got to tell you, I’m very proud of those achievements and especially the investments in our infrastructure.”
He noted how Oshawa is one of the few cities that has a functioning port, an airport, two 400-series highways, two rail systems, and investments in post-secondary education.
“The idea is to set Oshawa up as the place in Canada to raise your family,” Carrie said. “And I’ve got to tell you, restore that Canadian dream because with Pierre Poilievre at the helm, I know that our economy will be a priority.”
Carrie said during the coming months, while still in office he will be working to ensure the passage of Bill C-320, which proposes victim-oriented bail reforms and received unanimous support in its first reading in the House of Commons last Friday.
The act is supposed to provide transparency for the victims of crimes by providing those victims with “timely and accurate information” on the sentencing of the criminal in question to avoid victims being caught off guard when the perpetrators are let off on bail before the originally determined time.
Carrie believes he will be leaving the Conservative party in good hands.
“I think this is the best country in the world, and our best days ahead are ahead of us. And with Pierre at the helm, I’m just extremely optimistic for our future and Canada’s future. So, yeah, I’m just honoured to have been a part of that.”