![['<p>Placentia West-Bellevue MHA Mark Browne, parliamentary assistant to Premier Dwight Ball, hosted the government renewal session in Marystown along with Burin-Grand Bank MHA Carol Anne Haley. </p>']](https://saltwire.imgix.net/government-sessions-3036515.jpg?cs=srgb&fit=crop&h=568&w=847&dpr=1&auto=compress%2Cformat%2Cenhance)
Browne was one of the politicians who was widely reported to be considering a jump from Confederation Building to the House of Commons.
But this week, Browne told the Telegram that he feels a responsibility to stick with his current job.
“I made a commitment to the people of my district, and we just have so many files that we’re working on — you now, when you look at the Grieg aquaculture project, the Marystown shipyard, finding a new tenant for the Bull Arm Site,” Browne said.
“There’s so many files on the go that I made this commitment for four years, and I’m going to fulfill it.”
Foote announced in late August that she would be stepping down as minister of Public Services and Procurement in the federal government, and leaving politics. She said that family concerns were the driving reason.
Already Centreville-Wareham-Trinity Mayor Churence Rogers and former radio host Pete Soucy. Clarenville lawyer Stacy MacDonald and past Liberal candidate Merv Wiseman have also announced an interest in seeking the nomination.
Several current sitting MHAs in the provincial legislature are also rumoured to be thinking about it, including Education Minister Dale Kirby and Transportation Minister Steve Crocker. Browne’s fellow Burin Peninsula Liberal MHA, Carol Anne Haley, has also been the subject of speculation.
No date has been set for the byelection yet.
