Focussing on his desire to concentrate on his growing family, Federal Justice Minister Peter MacKay has confirmed he won’t be running for re-election this fall.

His announcement brings to an end a nearly 20-year run as an M-P.

MacKay’s confirmation was made alongside Prime Minister Stephen Harper –  who travelled to Nova Scotia to be there in person.

Harper paid tribute to MacKay as an outstanding public servant, a great person and “a historic figure” for his role in helping to forge the modern-day Conservative party.

MacKay represents the riding of Central Nova and was first elected as an MP in 1997.

He was at the helm of the Progressive Conservatives when the party merged with the Canadian Alliance in 2003.

MacKay was moved into Cabinet immediately after the Conservatives formed a government in 2006 – beginning at foreign affairs and then later shuffled to defence.

He became justice minister in 2013.

His career came full circle in a sense because it was his career as a lawyer that got him interested in entering politics.