Another long-standing MHA has announced that he will not be putting his name on the ballot for the upcoming provincial election.

Corner Brook MHA, and current immigration minister, Gerry Byrne will not be running in the election, joining three other cabinet ministers who also chose to bow out this week.

Byrne, has been a public servant for 33 years.

After a couple years of working behind the scenes, Byrne decided to run federally, and was elected back in 1996.

He left Ottawa for provincial politics in 2015 in the Dwight Ball government and has served in numerous portfolios, including fisheries.

Byrne says he is very passionate about what he does, but having passion doesn’t mean he should do it forever. He states that he has never felt more on top of what he is doing, but “maybe that’s the time to allow fresh faces to move in behind you to become the next Gerry Byrne.”

Byrne emphasizes the importance of his wife and his son over the last three decades. He says he is not leaving politics to spend more time with his family, because he already spends lots of time with them. He says it is possible to be a servant in public life without deprioritizing family.

Byrne joins veterans Scott Reid, John Haggie and Steve Crocker, all of whom declared this week that they will not be seeking re-election.