Canada's former Tory PM Stephen Harper quits politics

Canada's former prime minister Stephen Harper announced today he was quitting politics, 10 months after voters tossed his Tories out of office in a general election.
The awkward career-politician, who was more at home plowing through economic theory than glad-handing voters on the campaign trail, said in a statement that he was stepping down as a member of parliament after nearly 18 years of public service.
Summarizing the previous Tory government's accomplishments over nearly 10 years with him at the helm, Harper pointed to tax cuts, stiffer criminal sentences, and steering the economy "through the worst global recession since the Great Depression" in 2008.

Of the Group of Seven industrialized nations, he noted, Canada "came out in the strongest position of them all."
Harper's spokeswoman Anna Tomala said the former prime minister has formed a consulting group to provide advice to international clients.
"The firm will work in tech, finance, energy, infrastructure and manufacturing along (with) other files, in the US, Europe, Middle East and Asia," she said in an email.
Regulatory documents show Harper created a company last December called Harper and Associates Consulting Inc. With former aides Ray Novak and Jeremy Hunt.