The Speaker of Canada’s House of Commons informed Parliament on Monday that Liberal MP Bill Blair has officially resigned his seat, reducing the Liberal Party’s seat count to 169.
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Monday that Blair will serve as Canada’s next high commissioner to the United Kingdom, while Nathalie Drouin, currently serving as a national security and intelligence advisor, will become ambassador to France and Monaco.
Blair represented the Toronto riding of Scarborough Southwest since his first election in 2015. The former Toronto police chief served in several cabinet positions under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, including minister of national defence, public safety and emergency preparedness, and border security and organized crime reduction. Carney shuffled Blair out of the cabinet in May 2025.
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“France and the United Kingdom are two of Canada’s deepest partners in defence, security, and commerce,” Carney said in a statement. “Bill Blair and Nathalie G. Drouin, with their deep backgrounds in defence, national security, and public policy, are uniquely qualified to help fulfil these missions with core allies at this vital time.”
Drouin has held senior federal roles, including deputy clerk of the Privy Council, national security and intelligence advisor to the prime minister, and deputy minister of justice and deputy attorney general of Canada.
Blair’s seat is the second Liberal seat to become vacant this year. Former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned her Toronto seat in January to take an economic adviser position with the Ukrainian government. The House of Commons website shows the Liberal Party now holds 169 seats, while the Conservative Party holds 142 seats in the 343-seat chamber.
The government must call byelections for both Toronto ridings within 11 to 180 days after the Speaker notifies the chief electoral officer of the vacancies. Byelection campaigns last a minimum of 36 days.
Blair replaces Ralph Goodale, who served as high commissioner to the UK from 2021 to 2025. Drouin replaces Stéphane Dion, who concluded his term as ambassador to France in December.
Both appointments take effect this spring.
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