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MP takes pay cut to promote Harper leadership campaign

John Reynolds, MP for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast, is stepping down from a post that pays him an extra $42,000 a year. Reynolds is no longer opposition house leader after leaving the post and tendering his resignation on Monday.

John Reynolds, MP for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast, is stepping down from a post that pays him an extra $42,000 a year.

Reynolds is no longer opposition house leader after leaving the post and tendering his resignation on Monday.

Reynolds said on Monday he didn't have to step down but chose to so he can have the freedom to help Stephen Harper.

"There is nothing more important at this time than electing Stephen Harper as the leader of our new party," said Reynolds. "In my 30 years in politics, I have never seen a better or more intelligent leader. I believe Stephen is the only leadership candidate who can seriously challenge Paul Martin and the only leader who can excite Canadian voters by offering them a clear alternative to the last dismal decade of Liberal government."

Harper launched his leadership campaign Monday night in Ottawa.

Reynolds is confident that Harper will win the new party's top job, and if Harper does win, Reynolds expects he will be re-appointed to the position of opposition house leader.

Reynolds said he will miss the extra pay he received. The local MP pointed out that the house leader positions are the next highest paying jobs for MPs after the pay for the leaders of the parties. He added that if he is re-appointed it will be just a short period of time that he'll be out of the post.

For the West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast MP, the decision to step down was an easy one because during the Liberal leadership campaign he encouraged the leadership candidates to step down from their extra appointments. He reasoned that it is a big job to run a leadership campaign and it is impossible to do everything well if the leadership work is being done along with tasks relating to special appointments and all the other things MPs have to do.

The first leader of the Conservative Party of Canada will be decided between March 18 and 21.

Reynolds said party members will chose the leader through constituency votes across the country.

Peter McKay, former Progressive Conservative Party leader, was expected to run for the leadership of the new party but announced Tuesday that he will not seek the job.

Fraser Valley MP Chuck Strahl, Former Ontario health minister Tony Clement and business leader Belinda Stronach are also considering leadership runs.