The renovated Government Conference Centre, now dubbed the Senate of Canada Building. Public Services and Procurement Canada photograph

Larry Smith is stepping down as the leader of the opposition in the Senate.

Smith said in a statement that is a “natural time” for him to assess his role as leader with the 43rd Parliament about to begin.

“I have concluded, following a period of reflection, to not seek re-election as Leader,” he said.

A spokesperson for Smith told iPolitics that his replacement as opposition leader will be elected by the Senate Conservative caucus next week. Senator Smith was elected to the leadership role by his Conservative Senate colleagues in April 2017, Karine Leroux noted.

In Smith’s time as opposition leader, the Conservative caucus worked on policy issues like assisted dying, cannabis legalization, environmental assessment, official languages, defence and security and national finances.

Smith has served as leader of the opposition since April 2017, and will continue to serve as a Conservative senator.

“I intend to refocus my contributions to the Chamber through policy and legislative matters in policy areas consistent with my own communities of interest and background in business,” he said in the release.

Smith played in the CFL for nine seasons and later served as the commissioner of the football league from 1992 to 1997. He served as president of the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes from 2004 to 2010 but left to accept an appointment to the Senate from Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper.

Smith ran for the Conservatives in the Montreal-area riding of Lac-Saint-Louis in the 2011 election, finishing a close third in an unusually close race for the longtime Liberal stronghold.