MP MacKenzie on Flaherty: "...I'm sorry that he's gone."

Wednesday, 19 March 2014 13:29

Oxford Conservative MP Dave MacKenzie (File Image)

Finance Minister's departure triggers mini-cabinet shuffle.

INGERSOLL -- Jim Flaherty's departure from politics in Ottawa has the Conservative caucus talking this week, including Oxford member Dave MacKenzie.

Speaking this morning at a funding announcement in Ingersoll, MacKenzie called Flaherty "the finest Finance Minister we've seen in our lifetime" before adding this week's surprise move by Flaherty shocked him as well.

"I don't honestly know his intentions, but I take him at his word if he says it's not because of his health, but I'm sure his health conditions perhaps played a little part," said MacKenzie. "Jim is a salt of the earth guy, I know he's been what appeared to me to be in some pain for some while, but he's said he's made the turn on that recently and that's he's feeling better."

Last year, Flaherty acknowledged he had been suffering from what was a non-life-threatening skin disorder to which he was receiving steroid treatments.

MacKenzie says Flaherty handled the recession extremely well, making tough decisions in the finance department to weather the storm, even acknowledging some of those key decisions going against the grain of perhaps Flaherty's own fiscal thinking.

"At the same time opposition parties were screaming for more money, but he held things fairly tight and I have no doubt in my mind that his legacy will carry on. The deficit will probably be gone this year," MacKenzie added.

While Flaherty's move to run-up a bigger deficit was criticized by opposition parties, he leaves behind an almost balanced federal budget.

Flaherty's surprise move to leave politics this week has also touched off a min-cabinet shuffle in Ottawa with another member of Stephen Harper's cabinet, former investment banker Joe Oliver tapped to replace Flaherty in the financial file.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper confirmed Wednesday morning on Twitter that Minister of State for Science and Technology, Greg Rickford, will take over Joe Oliver's former natural resources portfolio.

Completing the mini-shuffle, MP for London-West, Ed Holder will take over Rickford's former portfolio.