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Fort McMurray — Brian Jean has resigned as MLA for Fort McMurray-Conklin, citing a desire to spend time with his family and rebuild his home, which was destroyed in the May 2016 wildfire.

Jean made the announcement during a Monday phone interview with Fort McMurray Today, after being dogged for months by rumours surrounding his future as a politician following his loss to Jason Kenney for United Conservative Party leadership in October.

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“My wife and my family have made a lot of sacrifices for me and I would like to give back to them,” he said Monday. “I’m stepping aside because, frankly, I have to focus on my family and my life.”

Jean said he knows some people will accuse him of being a sore loser, but insists his desire to leave comes mostly from a desire to focus on his home life.

He only recently started rebuilding his Fort McMurray home.

One of his sisters also has stage 4 cancer, while two other family members are also battling the disease. The experience brought back memories of when he lost his son, Michael, in March 2015.