Former Liberal Minister Kirsty Duncan Taking Medical Leave, Will Stay on as MP

Minister of Science, Sport and Persons with Disabilities Kirsty Duncan rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Mar. 1, 2018. (The Canadian Press/Justin Tang)

Liberal member of Parliament and former cabinet minister Kirsty Duncan has announced that she is taking an immediate medical leave due to a “physical health challenge.”

Duncan posted a statement on Twitter that says she will remain the MP for Etobicoke North and looks forward to returning to work.

Duncan has served in the House of Commons since 2008, winning five consecutive elections in the Greater Toronto Area riding.

She was science minister for the first three years of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s mandate, followed by stints as the minister of sport and persons with disabilities, the minister of science and sport and the deputy House leader.

Duncan does not currently hold a position in Trudeau’s cabinet.

But she has continued to advocate on issues related to her former portfolios from the sidelines, recently calling on the government to launch an independent inquiry into the Canadian sport system following widespread allegations of abuse.