Tom Mulcair has participated in three foreign trips since his exit as NDP leader on Oct. 1, joining parliamentary delegations in Andorra, Russia and Bangladesh in what could be the final weeks of his political career.

The three trips, in addition to his participation in an official visit to China in July, have fuelled speculation on Parliament Hill that Mr. Mulcair is taking the opportunity to travel the world ahead of his widely anticipated retirement as an MP.

"For the first time in a long time, I am doing what many other MPs have often done, that is to use my experience and my knowledge while taking part in various international parliamentary delegations," Mr. Mulcair said in a statement in response to questions about his recent travels.

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Mr. Mulcair has clearly said he will not run again in the 2019 general election, and he has talked openly about having had job discussions with various universities and research institutions. Still, the date of his retirement remains unknown, even among some of his closest allies.

All MPs are eligible to participate in delegations organized by various parliamentary associations, which make dozens of trips every year largely at public expense.

The foreign trips are widely seen as perks controlled by each party's respective whip. Mr. Mulcair is the only MP who has participated in all three of his recent delegations.

NDP sources said Mr. Mulcair, who has expressed his desire to act as a kind of elder statesman for the party, is building up his contacts around the world after being mostly confined to domestic travels during his five years as leader.

By spending time abroad, Mr. Mulcair is also making sure that he is not stealing attention from his successor as NDP Leader, Jagmeet Singh.

According to his office, Mr. Mulcair joined the Canadian delegation for the parliamentary assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in Andorra from Oct. 1 to 6. The meeting featured debates on "cybersecurity, climate change and the importance of education as a guarantee of stability," according to the official agenda.

Mr. Mulcair then went to Russia from Oct. 11 to 19 with the Canadian group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which held its assembly in St. Petersburg this year.

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He is currently in Bangladesh with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, his office said.

While he was still NDP leader, Mr. Mulcair joined then-governor-general David Johnston on an official visit to China from July 10 to 14. In addition to two ministers on the delegation, there were three MPs, but Mr. Mulcair was the only party leader.

Mr. Mulcair first won a federal seat in a by-election in 2007, and he was elected leader of the NDP in 2012.

After a disappointing result in the 2015 general election, he suffered a stinging defeat in a confidence vote at the party's convention in Edmonton in 2016. However, he remained leader and continued to grill the Liberal government in the House until he was officially replaced by Mr. Singh.

Mr. Mulcair has been coy about his exact plans for the future, although he has speculated about the possibility of joining a university after retiring from the House. He has also explored the possibility of working with law firms.

Mr. Mulcair was environment minister in the cabinet of former Quebec premier Jean Charest before he jumped into federal politics a decade ago.

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"I am going to keep my seat for now," Mr. Mulcair told The Globe and Mail in September. "I am in very advanced discussions with a number of universities and research institutions in Canada and I am keeping those options open."

Mr. Mulcair added that he would "never [run] again at any level," while expressing a desire to act as an elder statesman in New Democratic circles.

"I hope to be the [former Ontario NDP leader] Stephen Lewis character who gets invited up to the stage [at NDP campaign events] to give a rousing speech in years to come, because I so firmly believe that we should finally get a government that others have only talked about," Mr. Mulcair said.