MacLeod Delivers Emotional Farewell Speech to Queen’s Park Legislature
It was an emotional day for Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod as she delivered her farewell member’s statement to the Ontario Legislature Mon., Oct. 28.
MacLeod announced late in the summer that she would not seek a seventh term as the Member of Provincial Parliament for Nepean. The next provincial election is scheduled for the summer of 2026, but it is widely assumed that Premier Doug Ford will call an election in the spring of 2025.
“I want to say, in my last statement here in this Legislature—my deepest appreciation to each of you,” MacLeod told the Legislature. “Every single one of you, I look at and you’ve given me a story. You’ve given me life. And despite what you might think when I’m in question period, I do look at each one of you with deep admiration and affection, even when you may have been my harshest critic, and that usually came from this side. I learned a great deal from you.”
The Nova Scotia native served the riding of Nepean for 19 years, which also included when the riding was Nepean-Carleton until 2018 when it split into two electoral ridings due to the population growth of Barrhaven, Riverside South and Stittsville.
MacLeod said the decision to not run again came after a “summer of reflection” with family and friends. In April, the former Ontario cabinet minister said she wasn’t “going anywhere” during an event with Ontario Premier Doug Ford at Fallowfield United Church.
Before that, she joked at the grand opening of the Barrhaven Salvation Army Church that she would still be the MPP for Nepean in 20 years.
MacLeod had worked for both Councillor Jan Harder and then-Nepean-Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre before winning a by-election in 2006. She won the Progressive Conservative nomination after MPP and Cabinet Minister John Baird vacated his seat to run for the federal Conservative Party in Ottawa West-Nepean.
“In 2006, I stepped into this hallowed chamber,” MacLeod told the Legislature. “I had a baby cradled in my arms as Bob Runciman and John Tory walked me through that door. We were joined by Peter Tabuns, although not in the same party, who became a great friend of mine, and I have to say he touched me this morning when he told me that when his mother passed away this past September, she had a picture of me and him in her funeral proceedings.
“I harken back to that day because it was a day of hope and it was a day of promise. It was marked with the presence of many great people, and it was fun to be together embarking on the journey.”
MacLeod reflected on her first question period, saying Queen’s Park was not just a compilation of people from different parts, but rather a living, breathing embodiment of each new member, each with a fresh perspective and a new idea that they brought forward.
“It’s a place enriched by those who have weathered the storms of public opinion, as I certainly have, and electoral change, as I have seen over the past 20 years in this assembly,” she said.
“This place is magical not for the routine proceedings or the motions that we engage in, but it is because of the vibrant humanity that fills it. It’s a place filled with shared laughter, questions asked, debates ignited, and I must say, Speaker, I have seen that commitment and dedication to each of those of us who have chosen to serve. That’s why the true magic lies in our differences, the unique stories each of us brings, and it’s a gift to us fortunate enough to be elected to this assembly.”
While she reminisced about some humorous and more social moments during her time as MPP, there were also moments that she called weighty.
When Kathleen Wynne stood firm during the terrorist attack on Parliament Hill, she refused to shut down the Legislature during a time of national crisis,” MacLeod said of the 2014 incident. “We came together in this assembly as a family. We were united in navigating the storm, and the unity and strength of Ontario came shining through on that particular day.”
MacLeod also mentioned her health struggles. She has been very public with her battle with bipolar disorder.
“I’ve had some health difficulties, and some of the most comforting gestures were the warmth of a visit to my office from former Premier Dalton McGuinty; the thoughtful notes from Jim Bradley, Cheri DiNovo, Suze Morrison and—I’m going to out you here—Jill Andrew; and sweet and gentle moments but also from my colleague Will Bouma and his wife Joni,” she said. “These are the moments that are some of the best, the funniest, the most humbling and the most genuine of my life. It’s been a profound gift to share these experiences with each one of you.”
MacLeod concluded her statement with a reference to former Progressive Conservative party leaders John Tory and Tim Hudak.
“Tim Hudak reminded me of the platform that we all hold, and John Tory taught me something that is important for all of us to know too: Life unfolds in chapters,” she said. “I stand here, comfortable in the knowledge that I have had both. And I want to say this to each one of you: You do as well.”
Featured Image: Nepean MPP celebrates her 2022 election victory with her campaign team. It was her sixth straight victory. MacLeod announced she would not be seeking re-election in the next provincial election.
