Moose Jaw Wakamow MLA Greg Lawrence announced on Tuesday that he will not be seeking re-election in the 2024 provincial election. 

Lawrence has been the MLA for Moose Jaw Wakamow since 2011 and was re-elected in 2016 and 2020. 

He is currently recovering in hospital from a motorcycle accident that occurred on the Manitoba Expressway near Highway 1 in early August. 

Lawrence says his recovery is coming along "slowly but surely", adding "it's a little more extensive damage than I originally thought it was going to be."

He notes the slow recovery is what led him to make the decision to not seek re-election

"The more I go down this road with these injuries, the more I'm finding out that there isn't really an end date when I'm going be OK. I don't have a timeline of when I'm going to be 100 per cent or when I'm even going be able to fight a nomination battle. To give whoever is going to win the nomination a decent shot at beating the NDP, I needed to take a step back. If anybody else steps up, they'll be able to have a nomination meeting sooner rather than later and then get prepared to beat the NDP in the next election."

The decision to step aside next year was difficult in some regards, but Lawrence says it also made perfect sense.

"I didn't think I was done, however after lots of conversation with my kids and the rest of my family, I had to do what's best for me and I want to be around for my grandkids. I want to be around to pick them up and play with them and right now I'm unable to do that. I have to get healthy before I can do that. If I'm worried about fighting a nomination meeting, that's going to take away from me recovering from these injuries. I decided I had to step back and get healthy before I make the next career move."

Lawrence added that his constituency office will remain open and he will continue to serve the people of Moose Jaw Wakamow while recovering from the accident. 

He says there were plenty of highlights from his 12 years in office.

"The hospital, some of the work I did as leg secretary for social services that made its way right into the new regs when it comes to foster kids. Take a look at the power plant off to the southeast side of the city. The new school going in on South Hill. I'm really proud of the work I've done with the rest of the Sask. Party for helping Saskatchewan go forward and bringing Moose Jaw along with it. I'm not done, I've still got a year left before the election and hopefully, I'll be able to work on some of the other stuff that we're working on here in the city like 9th Ave. NE and Highway #1 and the overpass that keeps getting hit. I'm working with Minister McLeod to get that stuff done."

A nomination meeting will be held in the coming months, according to the Saskatchewan Party, to select a candidate for Moose Jaw Wakamow. Megan Patterson has already announced her intentions to seek the nomination. 

The next provincial election is slated for Oct. 28, 2024. 

"I wanted to thank the people of Moose Jaw Wakmow for putting their confidence in me for the last dozen or so years and for re-electing me three times. It was truly an honour of a lifetime working with them and working for them in this role," said Lawrence.

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