After 15 years on the job, Ontario's longest-serving environmental commissioner, Gord Miller, says he will be stepping down on May 18.

Although Miller didn't want another five-year term, he told QP Briefing the decision also comes a little sooner than he would have preferred. He had suggested the government extend him short-term while it found a replacement, but when the Liberals dragged their feet, Miller decided to act on his own.

"I was pushing recently, trying to say, 'Okay, I need a decision on whether you would like me to stay on for a few months of transition, or whether you're going to let this thing run out,'" he said. "And I couldn't get a clear indication that they wanted to do discuss the transition, so I just said I'd make the decision and let it run out."

Miller's permanent home is in North Bay and he's been renting an apartment in Toronto at his own cost. He said he made the decision now because he needs to give two months' notice on the apartment and didn't want to keep paying if an extension wasn't coming.

"For some weeks I've been anxious to have a full and thoughtful discussion, especially when it became obvious that they had not started the process of replacing me, which takes many weeks," he said. He noted there hasn't been an advertisement put out for his replacement.

Miller said the biggest reason he wanted to stay for the transition was the government's looming program on carbon pricing, a policy he has long advocated, and has finally taken root under Environment and Climate Change Minister Glen Murray.

"I know Minister Murray has expressed to me that it would be nice for continuity reasons to have me around, but it's not his call," Miller said. "I couldn't get those discussions underway elsewhere, so I decided, 'You know what? Let's do it this way.'"

Decisions on legislative officers such as the environmental commissioner are made jointly by the three parties through their house leaders. The government house leader's office would take the lead on initiating a new appointment.

Miller has some ideas about what might come next for him, but is keeping that close to his chest for now.

"I've got a couple options, but I haven't made any choices, so I can't tell you," he said.

QP Briefing will have the full interview with Miller in Friday's edition, including his thoughts on the biggest open files still on his desk.

Gord Miller to step down in May as environmental commissioner

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