John Hagee says he is stepping down from his role as MHA and Education Minister to deal with a health issue.
Haggie announced the news on his Twitter account on Tuesday morning, saying: “I will be taking some time off to deal with a health issue. My constituency office will remain open.”
In a follow-up announcement, Haggey said Tom Osborne would act as his deputy at the Department for Education while he took time out.
“Thank you for your understanding and support at this time,” he said.
Hagi previously took a leave of absence in August 2020 to deal with an unspecified medical procedure.
He was the province’s health minister from 2015 to 2022, when he swapped portfolios with Osborne to become education minister.
CBC News requested an interview with Hagi. It is unclear how long his leave will last.
Haig, originally from Manchester, moved to Canada in the early 1990s. He made his career as a surgeon before jumping into politics in 2015, becoming the MHA for the Gander region.
He helped lead the province in the early days of the pandemic alongside Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald and then-Premier Dwight Ball.
Hagi is the second cabinet minister to take medical leave this month. On January 9, Leader of the House and Tourism Minister Steve Crocker stepped down to recover from emergency surgery. Sarah Stoodley covers his ministerial role, while John Hogan takes over as Leader of the House.
Interim PC leader David Brazile also took a leave of absence after suffering a near-fatal heart attack in October.
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