The union leader Charbonneau star will not run for Bernier's People's Party

Union leader Ken Pereira will not run in the next election for Maxime Bernier's People's Party of Canada (PPC).

Pereira announced on Twitter that a "terrible family tragedy" required him to withdraw his candidacy a few days before the start of the election campaign. He apologized to the PPC and the volunteers who campaigned for him.

Une terrible tragédie avec ma famille m’oblige de me retirer des élections .Je m’excuse à le #PPC et à toute les bénévoles qui on travailler derrière ma candidature . Je vous demande de respecter ma vie privé . Merci à toute le monde .

— ken pereira (@kenpro11) September 6, 2019

He was set to run in the riding of Portneuf-Jacques-Cartier, in the Quebec City area.

In 2013, he gained fame in the province with revelations to the Charbonneau Commission about corruption in the FTQ-Construction union and the people surrounding its former director Jocelyn Dupuis and president Jean Lavallee.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has until September 15 to kick off the federal election campaign.