Liberal MP, retired general, Andrew Leslie says he won't seek re-election

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrew Leslie rises during Question Period in the House of Commons Thursday April 11, 2019 in Ottawa. A first-time Liberal MP and long-time military man says he won't run for re-election this fall. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA - A first-time Liberal MP and longtime military man says he won't run for re-election this fall.

Retired lieutenant-general Andrew Leslie says in an open letter today that after careful consideration, and while recovering from shoulder replacement surgery, he believes it is time to take a new path.

He is stepping down from his duties as the parliamentary secretary to Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland to give someone else the opportunity to serve in the role.

Leslie spent 35 years in the Canadian Armed Forces, including being head of the army during the Afghanistan war and also writing a high-profile report on the future of the military.

Leslie won the Ottawa riding of Orleans in the 2015 election, turning the riding red after the Conservatives had held it for three elections.

Widely expected to get a cabinet post, he never did, instead serving as Liberal whip and then as Freeland's parliamentary secretary.