OTTAWA — One of Stephen Harper's most experienced ministers resigned his plum foreign affairs post Tuesday, leaving a void around the Conservative cabinet table at a critical juncture in both domestic and international affairs.
John Baird was a prominent voice for Canada on the world stage and a multi-faceted lieutenant for Harper; his departure leaves many wondering who can carry the ball amid upheaval abroad and an election on the horizon at home.
The only one who seemed upbeat about the state of things was Baird himself.
"Last night, I spoke to the prime minister and informed him that I was standing down from cabinet," Baird told a hushed House of Commons.
"I will miss this place very much and many of the people in it, on all sides, but the time has come for me to start a new chapter in my life."
Baird said he has no plans to run for re-election and will surrender his seat — he represents the Ottawa riding of Nepean — in the coming weeks.
Trade Minister Ed Fast will stand in for Baird at Foreign Affairs, a portfolio that became a surprise vote-getter for a Conservative prime minister who showed little interest in it when he took office nine years ago.
Indeed, long before he took the job, Baird's strengths revolved around getting votes for the Conservatives; he was dispatched repeatedly by Harper over the years to raise funds and support, as well as to help manage the expanding Tory caucus.
Baird was even a reliable stand-in for Harper on a personal level, often called upon to squire Harper's wife Laureen to events around Ottawa.
He built up his political credibility by deftly managing a series of contentious files, ranging from the environment portfolio to the government's infrastructure spending program in the wake of the 2008 recession.
In a statement that was, oddly, delivered only on paper and not in person, Harper said he accepted Baird's resignation "with great regret and affection."
"John has always been willing to do a lot of the heavy lifting in my various cabinets and has assumed daunting new responsibilities with unsurpassed energy, commitment and professionalism, never losing sight of the fact that he was serving the Canadian people."
Though Baird took on Foreign Affairs with the same bulldog bravado that characterized his 20 years in politics, his views grew nuanced over time, leading to a softer touch on some files than the prime minister wanted, Conservative sources said.
Green party Leader Elizabeth May was more direct.
"When a minister of the Crown feels his advice is not welcomed by a prime minister, when everything is run out of the Prime Minister's Office, I think it is hard for anyone to play the role of loyal soldier," May said.
The hottest file of late has been Canada's relationship with Russia in the wake of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, she noted.
At a time of massive global unrest, whomever is tapped to replace Baird will have a difficult time, said the NDP's foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar, who represents an Ottawa riding and has known Baird for years.
"They are not big shoes to fill, they are massive shoes to fill," Dewar said. "It will be very interesting to see who ends up filling those shoes."
A parade of cabinet ministers, Conservative backbenchers and opposition MPs lined up to shake Baird's hand or hug the popular minister after his address, bringing Commons business to a standstill for 15 minutes.
Some said Baird's decision made them think about their own political futures.
"It happens from time to time when people leave public life," said Industry Minister James Moore.
"Everybody stops and realizes this is a room with 308 people who all have their own life story, their own life journey and their own decisions to make about what's in the best interest of themselves and their families."
Baird, by leaving now, also locks in his eligibility for a full MP pension at age 55. Under rule changes made in 2012, MP pension contributions begin rising dramatically after the next election and full pension eligibility doesn't kick in until 65.
He is just the latest high-profile minister to abandon Harper's cabinet as the government confronts a third bid for re-election after nine years in power.
Jim Flaherty resigned as finance minister shortly before his death last April, and former CTV anchor Peter Kent left his post at Environment in July 2013.
Conservatives took pains Tuesday to play down suggestions that Baird is irreplaceable.
"In my experience, people come and people go, and that's true in other world capitals and that's true in this place and we wish him well," said Treasury Board President Tony Clement.
"He had an impact, he accomplished some amazing things — but his successor will do the same."
