“The time has come for me to return to my family, and to the job that I love in the operating room, where I will continue to serve the province in a different way.”

Premier Andrew Furey has shocked the entire province – announcing that he is stepping down from political life, sparking a leadership race for his replacement.

Furey made the announcement this afternoon in a hastily-called news conference in the Confederation Building lobby.

He says he will stay on until a new leader is chosen.

The Premier’s Office this morning issued a terse release indicating that an announcement was coming at 2:00 p.m. but no other information was released.

Furey told a gathering of media, caucus members and government staff that he never intended to be a career politician, and provided his swan song, highlighting the accomplishments made while he was in office.

He acknowledged that as a politician you are “always on,” and “never off” and he and his family decided that he could not commit to another four years in elected office.