Liberal MLA Kent Hehr is taking aim at Ottawa in a move that could reverberate across the federal, provincial and municipal political scenes.

After weeks of speculation, the MLA for Calgary-Buffalo announced Thursday he will seek the federal Liberal nomination in Calgary Centre.

“These decisions aren’t easy and yet, you want to be part of a system where your contributions can be most directly felt,” the 44-year-old lawyer said in an interview.

“In my view, this decision will allow us to have a voice in a big fashion.”

One of Hehr’s Liberal colleagues, Calgary-McCall MLA Darshan Kang, has already been nominated federally in Calgary Skyview.

If Hehr is nominated, both he and Kang would be required to resign their provincial seats once the writ is dropped in the next federal election, scheduled for the fall of 2015.

That means the Alberta Liberals are likely to lose two of their five MLAs before the next provincial election, which is to be held in spring 2016.

Liberal Leader Raj Sherman said he views his MLAs’ moves positively because the provincial party can win those ridings back, while the federal party has the possibility of re-establishing itself.

“A provincial Liberal seat is way safer than a federal Liberal seat in Alberta. The feds have been blanked in Alberta for the last three elections,” he said, noting Hehr told him a month ago he was considering a federal race.

“The fact we have sitting MLAs making this decision, we know that there’s a sense of optimism for Liberalism and Liberal values in this province. So you’re going to see a resurgence of Liberals doing well.”

But Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams said the departure of Hehr is both a symptom of the party’s woes and another hit for the provincial Liberals to absorb.

“They’re losing one of their stars, so definitely it’s a huge blow for the party — but not a surprise that he’s thinking of going someplace else,” she said.

On the flip side, having Hehr — a high-profile community member with retail political skills — on board could be a boost to Justin Trudeau’s federal Liberals in Calgary Centre, she added.

The Grits already had high hopes for the riding because of the party’s strong showing in a 2012 byelection where Conservative Joan Crockatt bested Liberal Harvey Locke by 1,100 votes.

Visiting Calgary two weeks ago for the Stampede, Trudeau said the party hopes for a breakthrough in the city, where the Liberals have not won a seat since 1968.

Williams said the Liberals’ best shot in Calgary is likely in the downtown riding, but the party still faces an uphill climb, with its chances likely dependent on both a strong local campaign and a national surge under Trudeau.

Crockatt said Thursday the 2015 federal election is still months away and she’s more worried about the business of government than possibly facing Hehr in the next campaign.

“It’s very early and I think when we get to election time, I will be entirely focused on the record that I am putting forward as a member of Parliament who is also representing the government,” she said.

An MLA since 2008, Hehr has made his name as the Liberal finance and education critic, championing causes such as gay-straight alliances in schools.