Bev Oda stepping down as Member of Parliament, Minister of International Cooperation

Beleaguered Member of Parliament Bev Oda is stepping down effective as of July 31, 2012, a press release announced today.

It says that Oda advised Prime Minister Stephen Harper of her departure two weeks ago. Currently the MP for Durham in Ontario, Oda has been a mainstay in Canadian headlines over the last year as she was repeatedly found herself at the centre of controversy.

Oda first came into Canadian headlines last year when she admitted to altering a funding request from Kairos with a "not" inserted into the text. Most recently, Oda has been at the centre of public scrutiny for her expensive tastes while at a conference in London. Her $16 glass of orange juice from the Savoy hotel was the focus of much of the criticism.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has issued a statement as well, thanking Oda for her hard work and dedication as an MP for Durham, and congratulates her on her work to help mothers, children and newborns in the developing world.