With a federal election looming, N.L.'s political landscape is in for a serious shakeup
Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to plunge the country into an election campaign as early as Sunday
Five of the six Liberal incumbents are heading for the exit. Potential successors, including a stable of Conservatives who are hungry to upend traditional voting patterns that favour the Liberals, are mobilizing. And with an election call expected on Sunday, the federal political scene in Newfoundland and Labrador is heating up.
An airline executive from Labrador. A deputy mayor from Mount Pearl. A ship's captain from the Goulds. A real estate agent from Deer Lake.
That's just a sampling of some of the people stepping forward in hopes of earning the trust of voters at an especially turbulent time in Canadian politics.
Only two of the seven MPs — Liberal Joanne Thompson (St. John's East) and Conservative Clifford Small (Central Newfoundland) — are seeking re-election, so the political landscape in Canada's most easterly province is guaranteed to undergo a serious shakeup in the post-Justin Trudeau era.
A crowded field in Cape Spear
Nowhere is this more evident than in Cape Spear, the redistributed riding formerly known as St. John's South-Mount Pearl.
After three election victories for the Liberals, Seamus O'Regan's name won't be on a ballot, but there's a flood of interest in occupying his seat in the House of Commons.
Paradise resident Corey Curtis, a vice-president with a shipping company, is the Conservative Party of Canada candidate, wants to "secure a better future for our families" through good jobs and a strong economy.
But with three well-known Liberals — Victoria Belbin, Nicole Kieley and Tom Osborne — seeking their party's nomination, Cape Spear is shaping up to be a race to watch when new Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney plunges the country into an election campaign, with a vote taking place as early as late April.
"I think the fact that in this riding you have three capable, competent individuals running for this nomination is a sign of that excitement and renewed interest in the Liberal party," said Osborne, who retired from provincial politics last summer after more than 28 years as a Member of the House of Assembly.
A stunning Liberal bounceback
The only real tally that counts is on election day, but according to recent public opinion polling, the Liberal party has witnessed a stunning reversal of fortunes. Not long ago, it appeared that Liberal support was on the verge of collapse, and the Conservatives would form a majority government under Leader Pierre Poilievre.
But now both parties are in a virtual dead heat, and the polls suggest support for the New Democrats is bleeding away.
With
five incumbent Liberal MPs exiting the political arena, the
Conservative Party of Canada is looking to make a breakthrough in
Newfoundland and Labrador. The party has candidates in six of the seven
ridings, and two people are vying for the nomination in Avalon,
including master mariner and Goulds resident Branden O'Brien, and
Carbonear lawyer Jessica Babb. (Terry Roberts/CBC)
During a casual meeting at a Mount Pearl bakery and coffee shop this week, all three prospective Liberal candidates in Cape Spear say the emergence of Carney — a former governor of the central banks in both Canada and Great Britain — and threats to Canada's sovereignty and economy by U.S. President Donald Trump is responsible for the Liberal bounceback.
"What I am seeing at the federal level is true leadership and courage," Kieley said of Carney.
"I truly have a lot of faith in a someone with good strong monetary background," Belbin added.
Hundreds of Liberals are expected to gather at a St. John's hotel on Friday night for a nomination vote, during which all three candidates will make speeches.
Regardless of the outcome, they say they will rally around the successful nominee.
"I'm excited for what's to come, no matter who is holding that seat," said Kieley, who is the deputy mayor in Mount Pearl.
St. John's East
Next door in St. John's East, longtime labour advocate Mary Shortall is the NDP candidate. She's back for another run at the seat after receiving more than 13,000 votes and finishing second to Thompson in the 2021 election.
"I believe that both the Conservatives and the Liberals have an agenda that doesn't always put working people first," Shortall said during an interview at a park in downtown St. John's.
But like Cape Spear, St. John's East is expected to be a compelling contest.
Last week, Thompson was appointed by Carney as Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast, after serving briefly as Minister of Seniors in Trudeau's final cabinet.
David Brazil, who resigned from provincial politics in late 2023 after a 13-year career as an MHA, is the Conservative candidate in St. John's East.
Avalon
The departure of Liberal incumbent Ken McDonald has set the stage for a fresh face in the riding of Avalon, with McDonald expected to attempt a run at provincial politics after nearly a decade in Ottawa.
"I don't like being away from home so much," McDonald replied when asked why he's not seeking re-election.
For
22 months, Mary Shortall has been campaigning hard to secure an NDP
victory in the federal riding of St. John's East. She finished a close
second in the 2021 election to Joanne Thompson, who was named Minister
of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard last week by the new
prime minister, Mark Carney. The Conservative candidate is David Brazil,
a former provincial politician. (Terry Roberts/CBC)
The Conservatives are sensing an opening in this riding, and two people — Carbonear lawyer Jessica Babb and Branden O'Brien, a ship's captain with the Coast Guard — are scrambling to sign up supporters in a contest for the nomination.
"I think the big thing for me is affordability," said O'Brien, who believes Poilievre is the right man to lead Canada in these uncertain times.
"He's is committed to natural resource development," O'Brien added.
McDonald's executive assistant, Paul Connors, will try to succeed his boss as the representative for Avalon.
"I'm committed to continuing the work that has made this riding a better place," he wrote in a news release on Wednesday.
Terra Nova-The Peninsulas
The riding formerly known as Bonavista-Burin-Trinity has a new name, and will soon have a new representative. Churence Rogers was elected in a December 2017 byelection, but is retiring from politics.
Clarenville resident and engineer Jonathan Rowe will carry the Conservative banner, with a pledge to fight for a lower cost of living, support the natural resources economy, and "preserve our environment and culture, while standing up for our Canadian freedoms."
Anthony Germain, a teacher, communications consultant and retired CBC journalist, is seeking the Liberal nomination, saying in a recent social media post that Carney is "delivering the kind of change that Canadians want to see at this very difficult time."
Central Newfoundland
The political picture in Central Newfoundland is rather dull — at least for now — as the Liberals search for a candidate to take on the Conservative incumbent, Clifford Small.
Avalon
MP Ken McDonald is one of five incumbent Liberals in Newfoundland and
Labrador who will not be seeking re-election in the upcoming federal
election, and is considering a bid for a seat of the provincial House of
Assembly. McDonald says he will make an announcement when the time is
right, likely in the PC-held district of Conception Bay South. (Terry Roberts/CBC)
Long Range Mountains
This west cost riding is also in play, with Liberal Gudie Hutchings announcing in January that she's leaving federal politics after more than nine years as the representative.
The Liberals have not yet named a candidate, but Conservative candidate Carol Anstey has been criss-crossing the riding for many months.
In the 2021 election, Anstey received 14,344 votes, just 1,834 behind Hutchings.
WATCH | From Cape Spear to the riding of Labrador, the race is underway:
Big changes coming as competition heats up in N.L. among MP hopefuls Labrador
After nearly 12 years as the MP for Labrador, with four election victories to her credit, Yvonne Jones is another Liberal who is exiting the political stage.
The nomination process is not yet concluded, but airline executive Philip Earle is the leading contender to try and hold the seat for the Liberals.
The Conservative candidate is Happy Valley-Goose Bay's deputy mayor, Ella Wallace.
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Freeland says she'd invite Carney to be finance minister if she wins Liberal leadership
Former deputy PM says Liberals should choose a 'proven political leader'
Liberal leadership hopeful Chrystia Freeland says she wants her rival — former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney — to join her cabinet if she wins the contest on Sunday and becomes prime minister.
"When I win, I will invite Mark to serve as finance minister," Freeland told reporters after a campaign event in Vaughan, Ont. "I think we'll make a great team."
The former finance minister said Canada needs a prime minister "who has a seat in the House of Commons" and "has experience as a political decision-maker in a crisis," referring to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to impose massive tariffs on Canada.
Should Carney win the Liberal leadership race, he would become the first person to become prime minister who's never held elected office.
Freeland would ask Carney to be finance minister if she becomes PMFreeland touted her past work in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet to make the case she's best equipped to take on Trump. In the past, she managed the international trade, foreign affairs and intergovernmental affairs portfolios.
"So I think the ideal combination is to have me as a battle-tested, proven political leader with a senior minister," Freeland said.
Freeland also promised to convene premiers and business and union leaders as her first act if she becomes prime minister. She suggested she would let them decide whether she calls a federal election.
"If I hear from the premiers, from business leaders and from union leaders: 'We want you to govern. We need a united Canada right now that can stand up to that tariff threat.' Then that is the approach I will take," she said.
If Freeland becomes Liberal leader and prime minister, she would still have to face Parliament later this month. Opposition parties have pledged to bring down the government through a vote of non-confidence.
Trump's 'economic warfare'
Freeland also blasted Trump's tariffs on Wednesday and described them as "illegal and unjustified" — echoing Trudeau's language from Tuesday when he staunchly criticized Trump's decision and announced Canada's countermeasures.
"We need to be…. Absolutely clear this is economic warfare. We need to be absolutely clear that our sovereignty is not up for negotiation," Freeland said.
The former finance minister also said Canada needs to speak directly to Americans and tell them "how dumb this tariff war is, how self-mutilating it is for Americans."
Carney told reporters at a campaign event in Calgary on Tuesday that Canada is "in a trade war, clearly. We didn't ask for this war, it was started by the Americans."
Canada's economy is stronger than the U.S. economy: CarneyCanada's response starts with the countermeasures Trudeau announced Tuesday, Carney said. The federal government has levied counter-tariffs on $30 billion worth of U.S. goods, with possibly more to be added.
Trudeau also said that Trump's trade war is designed to collapse the Canadian economy and make it easier to annex Canada. When asked for his perspective on Trump's actions, Carney said if those are the president's intentions, "he will not succeed."
"What I am finding on the ground across Canada is Canadians are determined, they're united, they have resolve, they want positive change, they want to move forward. And that's what we're offering to them."
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'Not a soul' can replace Chrystia Freeland, says Liberal MP Ken McDonald
Surprised by the news Freeland's resignation, McDonald says nobody can do the job like her
Avalon MP can’t name ‘a single soul’ who can replace Chrystia FreelandAvalon MP Ken McDonald is joining the chorus of shocked Canadians following Chrystia Freeland's scathing resignation from the federal Liberal cabinet on Monday.
McDonald says he was surprised to hear the news Monday morning, and "never had an inkling" anyone was going to resign. Sean Fraser also stepped down as housing minister.
McDonald has been critical of federal Liberals in the past, joining a call for Justin Trudeau's resignation this fall and voting with the opposition Conservatives to cut the carbon tax on home heating fuels in 2022.
But, he sings praises for Freeland.
"I think it takes a special person to be the primary financial person for government, and as well to be the prime minister alternate," McDonald told reporters.
When asked if he could think of a replacement for Freeland, he said, "Not a soul.… I don't think anyone can replace her."
In her resignation letter, Freeland wrote that she was "at odds" with the prime minister in recent weeks.
McDonald says he didn't witness any behaviour that would indicate a disagreement between the two.
Next steps
The former finance minister also mentioned that "costly political gimmicks" contributed to her exit.
With a current break on taxes on select items, and a $250 cheque on the way for some Canadians, McDonald said he was interested to see where those recent decisions lay in Freeland's fiscal update.
Ken Mcdonald and Chrystia Freeland in Argentia in 2023. McDonald says it takes a special person to do what Freeland has done. (Terry Roberts/CBC)
He says he'd like to see retired seniors receive that extra $250, but an explanation will have to wait.
Two cabinet ministers left in one day, but McDonald says Trudeau is in it for the long haul
McDonald says he doesn't expect a successful non-confidence motion from the Conservatives, either.
"He told us as a caucus that he's up to the challenge," he said.
As for his own position, McDonald is firm on not running for re-election.
Despite his reverence for Freeland, he says, the prospect of her running for Liberal leadership hasn't changed his mind.
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With files from Heather Gillis
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