Veteran St. John's MP Doyle retiring from politics

St. John's East MP Norm Doyle, a veteran of federal and provincial Tory politics, announced Tuesday he is retiring from public life.

Doyle said he will not seek the Conservative nomination for his riding, a Tory stronghold that includes much of St. John's.

Doyle, 61, a former provincial cabinet minister, has represented the riding since 1997.

"It's been a very full, non-stop political life. It's really time to look at chucking it in, so to speak," Doyle told CBC News on Tuesday.

Doyle said he had been pondering his retirement since winning re-election in January 2006, his eighth victory in both levels of politics.

"I have absolutely no plans. I don't know if the election is going to be three weeks, three months or a year from now," said Doyle, adding he intends only to serve his constituents for the remainder of the term.

"It's business as usual. I'll continue to do my work."

A former chair of the federal Conservative caucus, Doyle said he is hoping the party will form a majority government in the next election.

Entered provincial politics in 1979

Doylehad represented the provincial district of Harbour Main-Bell Islandin the Newfoundland and Labrador house of assembly between 1979 and 1993.

In provincial politics, Doyle held cabinet portfolios that included labour, transportation and municipal affairs.

He retired from provincial politics in 1993, but re-entered the political arenain1997, helping the federal Progressive Conservatives rebuild following a rout in the preceding election.

Before entering politics, Doyle had been a construction worker who specialized in skyscrapers, including the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.