Province's natural resources minister bowing out of politics

New Brunswick's minister of natural resources and energy development says he'll be leaving politics when the provincial election is called this year.

Mike Holland says he's accomplished everything that was on his to-do list when he became minister in 2018 and it's time to pass the baton.

Elected politics "is meant to be, you come in, you do your work and you pass it on," Holland said.

"When I looked at the work that I've done, I feel like it's a comprehensive body of work we can stand on … and I feel I can sit back and say 'job well done' and then move on."

The Progressive Conservative party has scheduled a candidate nominating meeting in the Albert-Riverview riding for Feb. 14. The riding on the new electoral map is a redrawn version of Holland's current Albert riding.

Holland, first elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2020, said his decision was also driven by the fact that his partner lives in Nova Scotia.

"It's been challenging to be able to make sure that we invest in each other to the degree that we need to," he said.

Holland says the 713 turmoil was not a factor in his decision to leave politics. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)

He added that his decision was "not whatsoever" influenced by divisions in the PC caucus and cabinet over Premier Blaine Higgs's handling of changes to the education department's Policy 713 last year.

Holland said he wouldn't have been able to accomplish initiatives such as the doubling of protected areas on Crown lands without Higgs's support.

"I know that as I walked through the work that I did, I had the support that I needed. There were times that Blaine Higgs and I might not have agreed on something, but we found mutually agreeable paths where we could continue to make progress."

The minister is the second in Higgs's current cabinet to opt against running for another term.

Environment Minister Gary Crossman said in October he will retire when Higgs calls the election, which is scheduled for Oct. 21.

Health Minister Bruce Fitch also hinted last fall that he will not run again.

"There'll be an announcement on that in the not-too-distant future," he said this week.