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Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird rises in the House of Commons Tuesday February 3, 2015 in Ottawa to announce he will step down from his position.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

Ex-foreign affairs minister John Baird is expected to relocate to Toronto after politics and a variety of potential employers are expressing interest, including law firms and banks, a source close to the Ottawa MP says.

It will likely be a couple weeks before Mr. Baird, who resigned abruptly from Prime Minister Stephen Harper's cabinet on Monday night, makes an announcement on his post-politics career plans, friends say.

A source close to the 45-year-old politician says he's interested in a mix of roles that could include corporate directorships, work with think tanks as well as public speaking and consulting.

Mr. Baird revealed Wednesday that he consulted federal Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson one day before news of his departure broke.

He told Ottawa radio station CFRA that he wanted to "seek her guidance." Sources close to Mr. Baird denied a news report that he resigned because of a specific job offer and said instead he wanted advice on how to conduct himself after leaving politics.

"He wanted to have an understanding of what his restrictions were, how she would view certain things."

Federal ethics rules prevent cabinet ministers from talking to potential employers about jobs after politics.

The abrupt exit of one of Mr. Harper's most trusted and capable political lieutenants sparked speculation that others may follow, including Justice Minister Peter MacKay. Mr. MacKay, one of the founding forces behind today's federal Conservative Party, gave indications Wednesday that he will run again in the expected fall election.

"I've filed my nomination papers, so I'm under way," Mr. MacKay, a Nova Scotia MP, told reporters.

Sources close to Mr. Baird say he has "several interests" he's exploring but deny he has an employment deal in hand.

"Since the announcement of his resignation, many have reached out to him to express interest in working with him including but not limited to law firms, banks and others," the source said.

Canada's major banks are known for scooping up former senior politicians or public servants, including Jim Prentice, who has since become Premier of Alberta, former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna and former clerk of the Privy Council, Kevin Lynch.

As of Wednesday, Mr. Baird's friends said he was not in talks with any banks.

"He's not opposed to a relationship with a bank but not in discussions with any," the source said.

Mr. Baird told CFRA Wednesday that he is looking for "something that would take advantage of my skills. I'm a problem solver."

Mr. Baird, who quit his cabinet post Monday night, is expected to resign his seat within weeks.

He told CBC TV in an interview to be aired Saturday that he didn't want to become one of the "lifers" in federal politics.

"There is, I guess, a notion, where people become lifers. I've always thought it's good to come in, make a contribution and move on to something else. I did that 10 years ago at Queen's Park and I'm doing the same now," Mr. Baird told CBC.

He told the TV network the April, 2014, death of Jim Flaherty, a friend and colleague in both the federal and Ontario cabinets, was a turning point.

"That really shook me up and it was a reminder that, if you want to do other things and opportunities present themselves, you should reflect on that."

Mr. Baird denied speculation that a rift existed between himself and Stephen Harper or that his influence in Canada had declined.

"We debate, every year, hundreds if not thousand of issues," Mr. Baird told CBC TV of his relationship with the Prime Minister. "But I can tell you, certainly in my time as foreign minister, we have been so closely aligned, whether it is Russian aggression in Ukraine, whether it's on issues in the Middle East, Israel or the war on [Islamic State militants] we have a remarkably similar world view."

With a report from Kim Mackrael

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