Judy Foote stepping down as minister and Liberal MP for family reasons
OTTAWA — Judy Foote twice continued working to represent her Newfoundland and Labrador constituents while fighting gruelling battles with breast cancer, but it was a health risk to her children that prompted her to finally quit politics.
Foote announced Thursday that she’s resigning immediately from the federal cabinet and will step down as a Liberal MP shortly after Parliament resumes next month.
She has been on an indefinite leave of absence from the Public Works and Government Services Department since April, due to unspecified family issues.
The two-time breast cancer survivor revealed Thursday that she inherited the cancer-causing BRCA2 gene and that testing has shown she passed it on to her children. Foote has two adult daughters and a son.