After big win, big challenges await premier-designate Tony Wakeham
PCs defy the odds en route to majority government victory
For the Progressive Conservatives, the 2025 election campaign was about the cost of living, health care, and crime.
But mostly, it was about change.
Voters delivered that change Tuesday, in a shock majority victory elevating Tony Wakeham to the province’s top political job, soon to be sworn in as the 16th premier of Newfoundland and Labrador.
“An election delivers a mandate, but it does not by itself deliver change,” Wakeham said in his victory speech, delivered late Tuesday night in Stephenville.
“Change is up to all of us. And it is my promise to you, that as premier, I will give this everything I’ve got. To deliver the better health care, lower taxes, and safer communities that you all deserve.… Let’s build a better, brighter future for all of us.”
By contrast, Liberal Leader John Hogan laser-focused his campaign on one issue.
That turned out to be a bad political choice.
The Churchill Falls MOU wasn’t just a plank in the Liberal platform — it was the foundation, frame, walls, floors, joists, roof and pretty much everything in between.
Now, the entire deal is in danger of being pulled apart.
The incoming premier will face a suite of immediate decisions.
Wakeham wins majority, turning N.L. blue after a decade of Liberal governmentCertainly the biggest is the fate of that massive hydroelectric deal signed by former Liberal premier Andrew Furey less than a year ago.
Wakeham has pledged not to proceed with any deal on the Churchill River unless voters give it the green light in a referendum.
“We will develop Churchill Falls. We will develop Gull Island. We will electrify Labrador. We will develop our resources, with our workers, for the benefits of our communities,” Wakeham said in his victory speech.
“But the era of a rubber-stamp government is over. When it comes to our province’s resources, we will be the ones calling the shots.”
The premier-designate said he will “demand a true independent review that will share its conclusions with the public.”
Wakeham said he will use that review “to fix this deal or demand a better one.”
Meanwhile, the pending hydro deal Wakeham inherits is facing crushing deadline pressure.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault’s popularity has cratered. Legault must go to the polls within a year, and his tenuous political future puts the deal in doubt.
And there are other challenges.
The province’s fiscal situation has deteriorated since the spring budget, with the projected deficit nearly doubling, to a level not seen since the first year of the pandemic.
The Wakeham Tories have accused the Liberals of hiding even more bad news, with their accounting treatment of a tobacco lawsuit windfall settlement.
The Tory platform pledged to ensure that Newfoundland and Labrador gets its “fair share” of work on the Bay du Nord project, including topside work. That helped earn an endorsement from Trades N.L.
The incoming premier will have to thread the needle of maximizing local benefits and jobs on the project after the proponent hit pause two years ago, due to ballooning construction costs.
Falling dominos
The Tory campaign tailored its messaging to a receptive audience.
But the Wakeham team also benefited from a perfectly-aligned series of political dominos falling in place, one by one.
A cascading series of vote splits mostly went their way, to eke out relatively narrow wins in targeted pickups across rural Newfoundland and Labrador, in defiance of public-opinion polls.
They held off high-profile Liberal challengers to PC incumbents, especially in the metro suburbs, while picking off seats vacated by departed Liberal cabinet ministers.
The Tories captured 40 per cent more seats than the Liberals, while winning the popular vote by a margin of one percentage point.
That combination of numbers proved to be enough to push Tony Wakeham to the premier’s office.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Progressive Conservatives will form majority government in Newfoundland and Labrador
Voters in Newfoundland and Labrador showed they were in the mood for a big change on Tuesday by ousting the governing Liberals after ten years in power.
As the final ballots were counted at the conclusion of the autumn election campaign, the Progressive Conservatives led by Tony Wakeham took 21 seats, good enough for a slim majority in the 40-seat legislature. The Tories edged into a small lead after a nail-biting, see-saw battle, and then pulled ahead of John Hogan’s Liberals for the win.
The Liberals were elected in 15 ridings. The New Democrats won two seats; two Independents were also elected.
Wakeham won over voters by consistently criticizing Hogan’s decision to endorse a proposed multibillion-dollar energy deal with Quebec, saying the draft agreement just wasn’t good enough. The former health-care bureaucrat pledged to have the tentative agreement reviewed by an independent third party, pointing to lessons learned from the province’s previous energy project failures.
But Wakeham also spent much of the campaign focusing on pocketbook issues, repeatedly asking voters whether they were better off under the Liberals, who were seeking a fourth consecutive term in office.
The Tory win reflects a trend that started in the spring, when the federal Conservatives led by Pierre Poilievre won three rural seats in Newfoundland — a gain of two seats — despite the federal Liberals’ election win under Prime Minister Mark Carney.
As well, the provincial Liberal campaign was partially hobbled by the loss of several cabinet ministers who quit before the election race began, including Siobhan Coady, John Haggie, Gerry Byrne, Andrew Parsons and Tom Osborne.
Health care, housing and the cost of living all figured prominently during the campaign, but the fate of the Quebec energy deal seemed to dominated discussion on the hustings and during last week’s leaders debate.
Hogan, a 47-year-old lawyer, had said the proposed energy agreement between Hydro-Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro could inject $225 billion into the provincial treasury over 50 years, providing economic salvation for the financially fragile province.
Hogan has said the memorandum of understanding between the two utilities was “the election issue.”
The tentative agreement would see Hydro-Québec pay much more for power from the Churchill Falls plant in Labrador, which the Quebec government helped build in the late 1960s. The deal is also expected to lead to new hydroelectric projects along the Churchill River.
It will also terminate the existing Churchill Falls contract 16 years earlier than expected, a change that recognizes the unfairness of Hydro-Québec buying the majority of the electricity at rock-bottom prices for decades.
One of Wakeham’s other priorities will be dealing with the province’s ballooning debt, which is expected to reach almost $20 billion next year. That’s the largest per capita provincial debt in the country.
The New Democratic Party, led by 65-year-old former teacher Jim Dinn, was not expected to be a contender in the election, having never held more than five seats in the legislature. But they did add one seat to their total on Tuesday.
“The fact is, guess what? It’s going to be the NDP putting forward the ideas that will benefit all people of this province,” Dinn told his supporters in St. John’s on Tuesday night.
When the election was called, the Liberals held 19 of the legislature’s 40 seats, the Progressive Conservatives held 14, the NDP had one, and there were two Independents and four vacant seats.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 14, 2025
With files from Michael MacDonald in Halifax.
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Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 2:11 PM
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Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Subject: Automatic reply: Voting day is here, and polls are open for N.L.'s provincial election
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Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 2:07 PM
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Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 1:39 AM
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Voting day is here, and polls are open for N.L.'s provincial election
Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. NT — 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in most of Labrador
Polling stations have opened across Newfoundland and Labrador for this year’s provincial election.
Polls opened at 8 a.m. NT and 7:30 a.m. in most of Labrador on Tuesday morning — with party leaders among the first to cast their ballots.
Liberal Leader John Hogan voted in the east end of St. John’s alongside his wife, Gill. He told reporters that he is confident in his party.
"We have the best slate of candidates maybe that this province has ever seen from coast to coast to coast," he said. "We have new faces and some senior people who bring great experience, and its a good mix between new and old."
He also took one last jab at the Tories and their election platform.
"When you look at the Conservative plan, of course, they've decided to cut things like the future fund and not look after the future generations of this province," Hogan said.
In contrast, he called the Liberal plan complete, put together and forward looking.
Wakeham in Kippens
In Kippens, PC Leader Tony Wakeham voted alongside some of his political staffers, also marking the second anniversary of his selection as the party's leader.
With a smile on his face, he told reporters the PCs had a great campaign.
“People have told us that it's time for a change and today they will cast their ballots and we will look forward to tonight's results,” Wakeham said, adding he is confident that he will be re-elected to represent the people of Stephenville–Port au Port.
With a full slate of candidates, Wakeham expects to see some red seats switch to blue.
“I think we’re going to surprise a few people in a few districts potentially, but our candidates have been fantastic,” he said.
Wakeham did not mention any of his political opponents when speaking with reporters. Instead, he congratulated candidates of all parties for taking a shot at provincial politics.
NDP Leader Jim Dinn voted privately alongside his wife in the centre-city area of St. John's.
One year, three elections
It's been a big year for elections in Newfoundland and Labrador.
First, there was a federal election in April, followed by provincewide municipal elections last month. Now, Newfoundland and Labrador voters are heading back to the polls one more time Tuesday to elect the next provincial government.
The Liberal Party, which has been in power since 2015 — first under former premier Dwight Ball, followed by former premier Andrew Furey, who was succeeded by current Liberal Leader John Hogan — is hoping to hold onto power for a fourth consecutive government, against a Progressive Conservative Party led by Tony Wakeham and the New Democratic Party led by Jim Dinn.
The 28-day campaign marked each leader’s first time out on the campaign trail as the head of a party — and all of them were making making big-money promises.
Hogan’s Liberals are running on the memorandum of understanding signed with Quebec — a landmark deal which could replace the 1969 Churchill Falls Deal and bring in a lot of money and jobs to the province.
Hogan says his government will use that money to pay down the province's debt, create 10,000 jobs, and reduce the cost of power bills by spending $70 million to cut the harmonized sales tax for residential customers.
Read more here: All accounted: Liberals last to release costed election platform, hours before debate
Wakeham’s PCs are running on the promise to fix problems caused by what he calls a decade of Liberal failure affecting everything from the health-care system to taxes and public safety.
In their election platform, the PCs have committed to spending millions to expand the province's nursing school, and to better staff emergency rooms and rural medical facilities. The party has also promised millions to pay for 46 additional police officers and to increase the seniors' benefit by 20 per cent, indexing it to inflation.
Read more here: PCs unveil $284M election platform, hours before leaders' debate
Dinn’s NDP promises to save the province $400 million over four years by phasing out travel nurses while promising to hire 1,000 health professionals, and offer paid work-terms for nurses, social workers, and teachers.
He also plans to defund private shelters and invest in 1,000 publicly owned affordable housing units annually, while increasing the minimum wage to $22 per hour.
Read more here: NDP platform promises big surpluses, tax relief and spending shakeup
The provincial election marks the third and last scheduled election to take place across Newfoundland and Labrador in 2025.
Voting runs from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. NT today, or 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. AT in most of Labrador.
CBC Newfoundland and Labrador will have full coverage of the election results on Tuesday evening.
Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Click here to visit our landing page.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 1:39 AM
Subject: Automatic reply: A fine October Surprise would be if enough Newfies ignore the propaganda and elect a minority government
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
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Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 1:39 AM
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Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 1:41 AM
Subject: Automatic reply: A fine October Surprise would be if enough Newfies ignore the propaganda and elect a minority government
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Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Subject: Automatic reply: A fine October Surprise would be if enough Newfies ignore the propaganda and elect a minority government
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From: Connors, Paul - M.P. <paul.connors@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 1:41 AM
Subject: Automatic reply: A fine October Surprise would be if enough Newfies ignore the propaganda and elect a minority government
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Thank you for contacting the office of Paul Connors, Member of Parliament for Avalon.
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From: Anstey, Carol - M.P. <carol.anstey@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Subject: Automatic reply: A fine October Surprise would be if enough Newfies ignore the propaganda and elect a minority government
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Member of Parliament for Long Range Mountain
Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 1:39 AM
Subject: Réponse automatique : A fine October Surprise would be if enough Newfies ignore the propaganda and elect a minority government
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
(Ceci est une réponse automatique)
(English follows)
Bonjour,
Nous avons bien reçu votre courriel et nous vous remercions d'avoir écrit à M. Yves-François Blanchet, député de Beloeil-Chambly et chef du Bloc Québécois.
Comme nous avons un volume important de courriels, il nous est impossible de répondre à tous individuellement. Soyez assuré(e) que votre courriel recevra toute l'attention nécessaire.
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Thank you for your email. We will read it as soon as we can.
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From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Subject: A fine October Surprise would be if enough Newfies ignore the propaganda and elect a minority government
To: premier <premier@gov.nl.ca>, <Francois.Legault.ASSO@assnat.
Tuesday, 14 October 2025
240 years ago this week, New Brunswick launched a 'rowdy' 1st election campaign
Methinks its funny that Lyle Skinner the know it all constitutional lawyer and the not so wise UNBSJ professor Greg Marquis failed to mention that New Brunswick still does not have a constitution to this very day N'esy Pas?
240 years ago this week, New Brunswick launched a 'rowdy' 1st election campaign
New Brunswick elections aren’t usually raucous events; 1785 was an exception
When it comes to democracy, New Brunswick's first ride was more than a little bumpy.
It was 240 years ago this week that politicians first hit the campaign trail in the newly established British colony.
Greg Marquis, a history professor at the University of New Brunswick Saint John, said two words sum up the 1785 campaign: “contested” and “rowdy.”
Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 1:39 AM
Subject: Automatic reply: A fine October Surprise would be if enough Newfies ignore the propaganda and elect a minority government
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Please be assured that we appreciate receiving your comments.
Le ministère des Finances Canada accuse réception de votre courriel.
Nous vous assurons que vos commentaires sont les bienvenus.
Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 1:39 AM
Subject: Automatic Reply
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Thank you for writing to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
Due to the volume of correspondence addressed to the Minister, please note that there may be a delay in processing your email. Rest assured that your message will be carefully reviewed.
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Merci d'avoir écrit au ministre de la Justice et procureur général du Canada.
En raison du volume de correspondance adressée au ministre, veuillez
prendre note qu'il pourrait y avoir un retard dans le traitement de
votre courriel. Nous tenons à vous assurer que votre message sera lu
avec soin.
Nous ne répondons pas à la correspondance contenant un langage offensant.
Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 1:41 AM
Subject: Automatic reply: A fine October Surprise would be if enough Newfies ignore the propaganda and elect a minority government
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Thank you for your contacting the constituency office of Sean Fraser, Member of Parliament for Central Nova.
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Please note that all correspondence is read, however due to the high volume of emails we receive on a daily basis there may be a delay in getting back to you. Priority will be given to residents of Central Nova.
To ensure we get back to you in a timely manner, please include your full name, home address including postal code and phone number when reaching out.
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Merci d'avoir contacté le bureau de circonscription de Sean Fraser, député de Central Nova. Il s'agit d'une réponse automatisée.
Veuillez noter que toute la correspondance est lue, mais qu'en raison du volume élevé de courriels que nous recevons quotidiennement, il se peut que nous ne puissions pas vous répondre dans les meilleurs délais.
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Facebook : facebook.com/SeanFraserMP
Twitter : @SeanFraserMP
Instagram : SeanFraserMP
Sans frais : 1-844-641-5886
Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 1:43 AM
Subject: Thank you for reaching out!
To: david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Thank you for reaching out to the office of the Honourable Joanne Thompson, Member of Parliament for St. John's East.
Our Office receives a high volume of emails, and while we aim to respond to all messages, please allow 2-5 business days for a reply. Urgent matters will be given priority.
For help on specific issues, the following phone numbers may be useful:
* Canada Child Benefit 1-800-387-1193
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* EI 1-800-206-7218
* IRCC 1-888-242-2100
* Passport Canada 1-800-567-6868
* Veterans Affairs 1-866-522-2122
We appreciate your patience and look forward to assisting you.
Joanne Thompson
Member of Parliament
St. John's East
Telephone: (709) 772-7171
Email: Joanne.Thompson@parl.gc.ca <mailto:Joanne.Thompson@parl.g
Before printing this e-mail, think about the environment
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Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 1:39 AM
Subject: Acknowledgement – Email Received / Accusé de réception – Courriel reçu
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
On behalf of the Hon. Pierre Poilievre, we would like to thank you for contacting the Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition.
Mr. Poilievre greatly values feedback and input from Canadians. We wish to inform you that the Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition reads and reviews every e-mail we receive. Please note that this account receives a high volume of e-mails, and we endeavour to reply as quickly as possible.
If you are a constituent of Mr. Poilievre in the riding of Battle River - Crowfoot and you have an urgent matter to discuss, please contact his constituency office at:
Phone: 1-780-608-4600
Fax: 1-780-608-4603
Hon. Pierre Poilievre, M.P.
Battle River – Crowfoot
4945 50 Street
Camrose, Alberta T4V 1P9
Once again, thank you for writing.
Sincerely,
Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition
_____________________________
Au nom de l’honorable Pierre Poilievre, nous tenons à vous remercier d’avoir communiqué avec le Bureau du chef de l’Opposition officielle.
M. Poilievre accorde une grande importance aux commentaires et aux suggestions des Canadiens. Nous tenons à vous informer que le Bureau du chef de l’Opposition officielle lit et examine tous les courriels qu’il reçoit. Veuillez noter que ce compte reçoit un volume important de courriels et que nous nous efforçons d’y répondre le plus rapidement possible.
Si vous êtes un électeur de M. Poilievre dans la circonscription de Battle River - Crowfoot et que vous avez une question urgente à discuter, veuillez contacter son bureau de circonscription :
Téléphone :
Télécopieur :
L’honorable Pierre Poilievre, député
Battle River – Crowfoot
4945, 50 Street
Camrose (Alberta) T4V 1P9
Encore une fois, merci de votre message.
Veuillez agréer nos salutations distinguées,
Bureau du chef de l’Opposition officielle
Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Subject: Automatic reply: A fine October Surprise would be if enough Newfies ignore the propaganda and elect a minority government
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Thank you for contacting the Honourable Rob Moore, P.C., M.P. office. We appreciate the time you took to get in touch with our office.
If you did not already, please ensure to include your full contact details on your email and the appropriate staff will be able to action your request. We strive to ensure all constituent correspondence is responded to in a timely manner.
If your question or concern is time sensitive, please call our office: 506-832-4200.
Again, we thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Office of the Honourable Rob Moore, P.C., M.P.
Member of Parliament for Fundy Royal
From: Connors, Paul - M.P. <paul.connors@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 1:41 AM
Subject: Automatic reply: A fine October Surprise would be if enough Newfies ignore the propaganda and elect a minority government
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Thank you for contacting the office of Paul Connors, Member of Parliament for Avalon.
We appreciate your patience as we’ve worked to get our office up and running. It has taken some time to become fully operational, and we are grateful for your understanding during this transition.
As a newly established office, we are currently experiencing a high volume of inquiries and are working diligently to respond to each e-mail and call. We sincerely appreciate your continued patience as we get fully up to speed.
Please know that every inquiry is important to us. While we aim to respond as quickly as possible, response times may vary depending on the nature and urgency of your request. In general:
· General inquiries may take up to 5 business days for a response.
· Time-sensitive or urgent matters will be prioritized and addressed as quickly as possible.
· If your issue is urgent, we encourage you to call our office directly.
Constituency Office:
120 Conception Bay Highway, Suite 105, Conception Bay South, NL A1W 3A6
Phone:709-834-3421
Email: paul.connors@parl.gc.ca
We look forward to serving you and working together to support our community.
Warm regards,
Office of Paul Connors, M.P.
Your Member of Parliament for Avalon
From: Anstey, Carol - M.P. <carol.anstey@parl.gc.ca>
Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Subject: Automatic reply: A fine October Surprise would be if enough Newfies ignore the propaganda and elect a minority government
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Thank you for contacting the office of MP Carol Anstey, Member of Parliament for Long Range Mountains. We acknowledge receipt of your email and appreciate you reaching out.
Priority is given to constituents of the Long Range Mountains riding. To help us identify and expedite requests from constituents, we kindly ask that you provide the following information if you have not already done so:
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This information will help us better serve you and ensure that your inquiry is directed appropriately.
Your message is important to us and is currently being reviewed. Please note that this auto response is your confirmation that your email has been received. Rest assured, however, that your concerns are important to MP Anstey and will be brought to her attention.
Thank you again for your message and understanding.
Warm regards,
Office of MP Carol Anstey
Member of Parliament for Long Range Mountain
Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 1:39 AM
Subject: Réponse automatique : A fine October Surprise would be if enough Newfies ignore the propaganda and elect a minority government
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
(Ceci est une réponse automatique)
(English follows)
Bonjour,
Nous avons bien reçu votre courriel et nous vous remercions d'avoir écrit à M. Yves-François Blanchet, député de Beloeil-Chambly et chef du Bloc Québécois.
Comme nous avons un volume important de courriels, il nous est impossible de répondre à tous individuellement. Soyez assuré(e) que votre courriel recevra toute l'attention nécessaire.
Nous ne répondons pas à la correspondance contenant un langage offensant.
L'équipe du député Yves-François Blanchet
Thank you for your email. We will read it as soon as we can.
We do not respond to correspondence that contains offensive language.
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Date: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Subject: A fine October Surprise would be if enough Newfies ignore the propaganda and elect a minority government
To: premier <premier@gov.nl.ca>, <Francois.Legault.ASSO@assnat.
Thursday, 9 October 2025
PCs lean on federal Conservatives for provincial campaign
Connections might work in the party's favour, says political scientist
Between shades of blue, party slogans and shared staffers, the Progressive Conservative campaign is a far cry from the Danny Williams “Anything But Conservative” era.
Federal Conservative candidates did well in the 2025 general election in April, with Carol Anstey, Jonathan Rowe and Clifford Small each winning a seat in the House of Commons in Ottawa.
And while provincial PC Leader Tony Wakeham says his party has its own distinct identity, he didn’t shy away from tipping his hat to his federal cousins.
“There are things that the federal Conservatives have stood for, including the removal of that emissions cap. Do I agree with that? Absolutely,” Wakeham said while speaking at a campaign event in St. John’s last week.
“Do I agree when they talk about the development of our offshore oil? Absolutely, 100 per cent. Did I agree with their removal of the carbon tax? One hundred per cent. So there are lots of things that we agree with and that we will continue to fight for.”
And it could bode well for the party as it stares down the Oct. 14 election date.
Political scientist Kelly Blidook said the PCs have an opportunity to capitalize on Conservative support.
“If we now know that voters in the province are willing to vote Conservative federally, then the PCs really should be getting on that bandwagon,” Blidook said in an interview with CBC News.
“They should be making those connections and using as many people and connections as they can to figure out who will vote for [them] and why.”
Campaign connections
A Conservative insider in Newfoundland and Labrador has told CBC News that many of the federal party’s volunteers are now helping with the provincial PC campaign.
There are similarities in staff, too.
Luis Lopez is a familiar face in Conservative circles in Ontario, having worked for the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and most notably as the lead advance for Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre during his 2025 election campaign.
He can now be seen aiding Wakeham’s press conferences and setting boundaries for reporters and candidates alike, similar to previous Conservative events.
Speaking to CBC News before the leaders’ debate Wednesday evening, Lopez said he no longer works for the federal Conservative party, and only did so for two years. He didn’t indicate there was a connection between the two parties.
“I have experience in event planning and I like planning events,” he said.
- Want to know more about what the parties are promising? Check out the CBC N.L. platform tracker
- Want to read more stories from the N.L. campaign trail? Check out the Newfoundland Votes 2025 page
Tina Neary, the PC candidate for Conception Bay East-Bell Island, was overheard saying “we're just like little children” at an event last week as Lopez marked her place with duct tape on the floor.
When asked if a provincial Conservative and federal Conservative connection exists, Neary told CBC News she’s been seeing some confusion at the doors as to which party she represents.
Blidook said that might work in the party's favour, but there’s also a risk in aligning with the federal Tories.
“The evidence is that Poilievre himself is not a particularly popular leader, even if the federal Conservatives are a popular party," Blidook said.
"So I think what they do is they try to find the parts that are winners and try to avoid the parts that are losers."
Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Mark Quinn
5 Comments
Churchill Falls Power: We Won’t be Fooled Twice
Cathy Beehan is former executive assistant to The Hon. John Crosbie and founding CEO of Action Canada, Gabe Gregory is a business consultant and Des Sullivan is an entrepreneur and blogger.
The Churchill Falls Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), a proposed 51-year agreement with Hydro-Quebec (HQ) that replaces a 1969 contract widely seen as unfair, will be a major issue when Newfoundlanders and Labradorians go to the polls on October 14.
Premier John Hogan is running on this MOU. But it is not a good deal. If he gets a mandate and our provincial government, once again, signs away the greatest resource we have—one of the mightiest hydro resources in the world—we will have no one to blame but ourselves.
To paraphrase the adage, “Fool us once shame on you, fool us twice, shame on us.” Don’t be fooled twice.
The MOU repeats the mistakes of the infamous 1969 agreement.
First, it is a deal that for more than a half-century maintains HQ’s control over NL hydroelectricity and makes HQ the main beneficiary of our resource.
It is a deal that for more than a half-century gives us no transmission rights.
It is a deal that for more than a half-century restricts our ability to sell power to other buyers.
It is a deal that for more than a half-century does not include solid price escalation terms for the proposed Gull Island project, which means that HQ receives all the benefit of price increases for the next 51 years.
And it is a deal that for more than a half-century sets an unfairly low price to be paid by HQ for Churchill Falls power. Almost identical failings are why the 1969 agreement was also such a bad deal.
Mike Wilson, who resigned from the government’s Independent Churchill River Negotiation Oversight Panel, has published detailed analysis of the MOU’s price provisions. He notes that the CEO of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro said Churchill Falls power is worth 11 to 13 cents per kilowatt hour to HQ, while the power will be sold to HQ for an agreed average price of just 5.9 cents/kWh over 51 years. Other analysts have written that the average price is even lower, at 2.5 cents/kWh, and that the worth to HQ is much higher, up to 16 cents/kWh.
Many experts agree the selling price compared with the current replacement cost is egregiously low. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians can seize the opportunity on election day to tell the premier he does not have a mandate to sell our power for a pittance.
The government is dangling a $1-billion-a-year payout for the first 14 years of the agreement. Where is it getting this number? Reputable analysts can’t find it. In addition, whatever the correct number, the amount we will have received up to 2041 must be repaid. It’s a simple high-interest loan.
North America is clamouring for hydro. Think about the campus-size data centres needed by the exploding AI sector, which pays current market prices. Under this deal, we are denied market prices for our power, and we can’t sell it to others. Is this the government’s vision for economic development? A better vision should include bringing businesses to our province that will buy our power directly.
The MOU has been described by experts as unnecessarily complicated. Much has been said about the value of the additional projects like the Gull Island one. Such improvements make sense if NL is insulated from excessive risk and has development control, if our workers and contractors are engaged and if the price paid for our power is fair and includes price escalation related to market conditions and inflation. All four of these crucial factors appear doubtful in this MOU. To make matters worse, the government is using these additional projects in a complicated proposal that obscures the great giveaway of our crown jewel, the existing Churchill Falls plant.
The government, hand-in-glove with Hydro-Quebec, is working to speed up the finalization of this agreement before the April 2026 deadline. We can’t let this happen. Why are the real details hidden from the public? Why is the government rushing into another bad Churchill Falls deal?
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will not be fooled twice.
I called this number just before midnight and left avoicemail stating I will be forwarding their words
About Me
| Gender | MALE |
|---|---|
| Industry | Property |
| Occupation | Director |
| Location | St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada |
| Introduction | Uncle Gnarley is written by Des Sullivan, of St. John's. He is a businessman engaged in real estate, retail and development companies. A Director of Sullivan Capital Corporation, he is a former Executive Assistant to Premier's Frank D. Moores (1975-1979)and Brian Peckford (1979-1985). He also served as a Part-Time Board Member on the Canada-Newfoundland Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB). Uncle Gnarley permitted the use of his highly regarded name provided he could have full access to state his own rather unequivocable opinions. (A more detailed Profile of Uncle Gnarley is described in the very first Post entitled "Uncle Gnarley is alive and well" found on this site. Sullivan is a firm advocate of sound fiscal management by the provincial government and intends to use this Site as a forum for commentary on the major issues of the day. Says Sullivan, "Newfoundland and Labrador inspires debate on a variety of issues, a veritable Muskrat Falls of opinion". Readers are invited to leave their opinions, too. Uncle Gnarley will post every Monday, and more often as events warrant. |
| Interests | Business, writing, kayaking |
Thursday, 19 June 2025
2005 01 T 0010 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF NEWFOUNDLAND BETWEEN WILLIAM MATTHEWS BYRON PRIOR
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
TRIAL DIVISION
BETWEEN:
WILLIAM MATTHEWS PLAINTIFF
AND:
BYRON PRIOR DEFENDANT
BYRON PRIOR DEFENDANT/PLAINTIFF
BY COUNTERCLAIM
BY COUNTERCLAIM
BY COUNTERCLAIM
BY COUNTERCLAIM
BY COUNTERCLAIM
BY COUNTERCLAIM
BY COUNTERCLAIM
BY COUNTERCLAIM
SUMMARY OF CURRENT DOCUMENT
A F F I D A V I T
SWORN to before me at
St. John’s, Province of Newfoundland
and Labrador this 24th day of
January, 2005.
Signed by Della Hart STEPHEN J. MAY Signature
STAMP
DELLA HART
A Commissioner for Oaths in and for
the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
My commission expires on December 31, 2009.
Election Writ 10/13: Will it be close in NL, or not close at all?
Polls suggest a Liberal lead, but there's little consensus beyond that.
Welcome to the Election Writ, a special-edition newsletter to get you up-to-date on the ongoing campaign in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Tomorrow is election day in Newfoundland and Labrador — and this election looks tough to call. In today’s newsletter, I take a look at the polls that have (finally) been published during this campaign and try to make some sense of them, as well as a seat projection using the data at hand.
I also take a look at the province’s bellwether seats that have decided elections going back decades, plus those that could prove to be the tipping points in this election.
ELECTION NEWS AND ANALYSIS
Newfoundland and Labrador’s bellwethers
Four
districts in the province have been voting with the governing party for
decades — and one of them can even trace backing the winning party in
every election all the way back to Confederation.Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Election Poll, October 2025
Lib
46% ± 6%▲
PC
38% ± 6%▼
NDP
13% ± 3%▼
| Firm | Rating | Date (middle) |
Sample | LIB | PC | NDP | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mainstreet Research |
| 2025-10-10 | 1,100 | 52 | 32 | 13 | LIB +20 | |
| Cardinal Research |
| 2025-10-09 | 418 | 49 | 41 | 8 | LIB +8 | |
| MQO Research |
| 2025-10-06 | 541 | 43 | 40 | 13 | LIB +3 | |
| Narrative Research |
| 2025-08-19 | 350 | 59 | 31 | 9 | LIB +28 | |
PCs continue ‘drive to victory’ before election night
Campaign attendees say they’re ready for change
Night after night during the final days of the election campaign across Newfoundland and Labrador, crowds have burst into applause to show their party colours as leaders greet them at events.
Tony Wakeham and the Progressive Conservative Party have been sailing in seas of blue at campaign rallies away from the capital city leading up to election day.
“We’re on a drive to victory,” Wakeham proclaimed in Clarenville on Thursday evening.
About 60 people filled a conference room at the Clarenville Inn. Traditional folk tunes and throwback hits played on a loudspeaker as PC supporters snapped photos with the candidates.
“I think we need a change,” said Susan Dean, who lives in Northwest Brook.
The woman said she’s looking for new ideas and a new government on Oct. 14.
Dozens of other people in that room were hoping to see a new premier, including Ray Green.
“I believe we need to change the direction we’re going,” he said in an interview in the middle of the action. “I believe the Conservatives have the most to offer."
Terra Nova candidate and incumbent Lloyd Parrott told CBC News he was encouraged by the turnout, and said the people of Newfoundland and Labrador are ready to move on from the Liberal government, which has been in power for the last decade.
He’s confident those dreams will become a reality.
“Major change is coming,” said Parrott. “We will win a majority government and I’m not so certain that the Liberals see what’s coming.”
- Want to know more about what the parties are promising? Check out theCBC N.L. platform tracker
- Want to read more stories from the N.L. campaign trail? Check out theNewfoundland Votes 2025 page
The mood is similar in central Newfoundland, where the PC team headed on Friday.
Wakeham used the visit as an opportunity to give a rerun of his well-received “drive to victory” speech.
With the N.L. election campaign entering the homestretch, the PCs are charging hardThe PC leader also spoke of plans to improve the province’s health-care services and community safety while at a meet-and-greet at the Grand Rodeo restaurant in Grand Falls-Windsor.
He was met with cheers with nearly every point he made.
Wakeham said he lived and worked in the town for 10 years at one point, and has a strong grasp on what residents there are looking for in a government.
On the heels of a fiery district debate, Grand Falls-Windsor-Buchans candidate Chris Tibbs said his party can — and will — lead with passion.
He told reporters he feels the PCs have run a “great” campaign.
“Let’s get this province back on track,” Wakeham said before leaving for Deer Lake.
Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
LPNL Provides Results for Labrador West Nomination Meeting and Closes Nominations for Fogo Island – Cape Freels
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
The Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador is announcing that following the Nomination Meeting on June 11, 2025, TODD SEWARD has secured the nomination for Labrador West.
–
The Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador is also announcing that following the close of nominations, DALE LEWIS and GARRY LEYTE have been accepted as Candidates for the Liberal Nomination in the District of Fogo Island – Cape Freels.
A Nomination Meeting will be held, with date, time, and locations to be announced.
Individuals who are residents of the district, 14 years of age or older, and a Registered Liberal with the party in Newfoundland and Labrador are eligible to vote in the nomination process. The registration deadline to vote in the nomination will be the close of voting.
– 30 –
Media Contact:
Judy Morrow, General Election Campaign Chair
Liberal Party of Newfoundland & Labrador
E-mail: info@nlliberals.ca
Tel: 709-727-3773
The men looking to become N.L.'s next premier square off in tame leadership debate
Here's where leaders stand on key issues
The three leaders of Newfoundland and Labrador's political parties kept things relatively cordial in a televised debate Wednesday evening, each making their pitch to voters as to why they should lead the province.
Liberal Leader John Hogan, Progressive Conservative Leader Tony Wakeham and NDP Leader Jim Dinn each made their case at the 90-minute debate hosted by CBC News and produced with other members of Newfoundland and Labrador's media.
Many voters had already made their voices heard before the debate, as advance polls had opened a day earlier, but the next government will be decided when voters head to the polls on Oct. 14.
While several topics were covered, here's what the leaders had to say on a few key issues.
Here’s what happened in the N.L. leaders’ debateThe Cost of Living
Wakeham began the debate by highlighting the struggles he's heard from residents on the campaign trail. His party is focused on making life more affordable for residents while making sure they can gain more supports.
The PC party has committed to making sure residents don't pay provincial income tax on the first $15,000 they make each year, and has promised to increase the provincial seniors' benefit by 20 per cent and index it to inflation.
Hogan said that while cost of living challenges predominantly arose during a decade of Liberal governance in Newfoundland and Labrador, his leadership brings new ideas.
- Want to know more about what the parties are promising? Check out the CBC N.L. platform tracker
- Want to read more stories from the N.L. campaign trail? Check out the Newfoundland Votes 2025 page
He has committed to removing the provincial sales tax on power bills to save customers 10 per cent — a move deemed to be impossible before he became premier — and $3 million for free school supplies for students up to Grade 6.
Dinn challenged Hogan on his commitment to slashing power bills, highlighting the NDP had brought that idea to the House of Assembly seven months prior.
"I find that a little bit disingenuous that this is now a platform. I don't trust that they will follow through on it. They had the chance to back it up, they didn't," Dinn said.
Hogan responded by saying he found a way to bring the change forward as leader, while Dinn questioned its timing as an election promise.
Health care
All three parties have made big health-care spending promises.
Hogan and the Liberals have committed to expanding the number of family care teams across Newfoundland and Labrador, ensuring that 155,000 people can access them by the end of 2026.
He also pointed to the hiring of over 1,300 nurses, adding work in recruitment and retention continues.
Both Dinn and Wakeham said they would improve health care through consultation with those in the field.
Dinn said he's focused on retooling the money the province spends on agency nurses to address the issues nurses face — like violence and mandatory overtime — and believes dealing with those issues would improve recruitment and retention.
Wakeham has committed to spending millions in health care, largely to improve recruitment and retention, and opening or reopening emergency rooms in the province.
"I've spent most of my career working in health all over this province," Wakeham, the former CEO of Labrador-Grenfell Health, said. "Our people that are on the ground in our health-care system, they're the backbone of this system. And that's where we need, who we need, to be talking about how to fix it."
The Churchill Falls MOU
The memorandum of understanding between Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec to develop Churchill Falls and Gull Island has been the priority issue of Hogan and the Liberal party. He believes the deal, which could bring $225 billion to the province in its lifetime, is a lottery win for the province.
"This is a Newfoundland and Labrador deal, and we absolutely do need to get it right. And the MOU is the backbone for the amazing opportunity for this province. The likes of which we haven't seen, and we will never see again," Hogan said.
Wakeham has been a advocate of patience with the deal. He believes the Liberals are rushing into a bad deal for Newfoundland and Labrador, and said the PCs would put any deal to independent review and a public referendum.
During the debate, when Hogan said the province has been "working on this deal literally since 1969," Wakeham laughed.
"Quebec are dancing in the streets right now, and the press is telling them to keep their voices down because they don't want people to realize how good a deal it is for Quebec and bad for Newfoundland and Labrador," he said.
Dinn has long called for independent oversight, saying it's important the deal is the right one.
He also called on leaders to take partisan politics out of negotiations and ensure Newfoundland and Labrador is top of mind.
Government overspending
Whoever is the next leader of Newfoundland and Labrador will inherit an estimated $626 million spending deficit, and a net provincial debt of over $20 billion.
Dinn was quick to highlight a fully-costed four-year NDP plan that the party says will return the province to surplus budgeting in Year 1, and with a forecasted surplus of nearly half-a-billion by 2029-30.
"Whatever problems we have … has been brought to you by the Liberal-PC tag team," Dinn said.
The NDP released their platform early in the campaign, while the PCs and Liberals released their platforms just hours before the debate.
"The first we hear of any plan from both Liberals and [PCs] is today, after the early voting. But we've been very clear about demonstrating our work. How we got these numbers, I haven't seen that from either one of them," Dinn said.
The topic led to an exchange between Hogan and Wakeham, in which Hogan highlighted how the PC platform doesn't include a plan to decrease the deficit, and accused the leader of not caring about the province or its people as a result.
"It's not about my kids, it's not about my grandkids. It's about you. It's about you trying to make sure that you get enough votes now, but I'm more concerned with the future of Newfoundland and Labrador," Hogan said.
Wakeham responded by pointing to his platform, saying that much of the spending the PCs were able to cost could be reallocated from what he has called Liberal spending failures, like the money spent on travel nurses.
Housing
Speaking on the state of affordable housing in the province, Hogan said he believes it breaks down to a supply and demand issue.
It's time to think big, he said, by working to build more homes and free up Crown land to help more projects be built.
Much of Dinn's discussion points came back to housing in one way or another, saying that a lack of housing is often a precursor to issues like rising crime or a lack of mental health supports.
The NDP has committed to creating a self-sustaining Crown corporation known as N.L. Homes, with the plan of building 1,000 new affordable housing units per year while implementing things like rent control.
Wakeham said some relief could be found in homes that already exist, highlighting a need to better manage and maintain Newfoundland and Labrador Housing units and help people downsize where possible — while also building more homes.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Officially Registered Parties
Liberal Party
Leader: John Hogan
510 Topsail Road, Suite 116
St. John’s, NL
A1E 2C2
Phone: (709) 754-1813 or
1-866-726-7116
Email: info@nlliberals.ca
New Democratic Party
Leader: Jim Dinn
P.O. Box 5275
St. John’s, NL
A1C 5W1
Phone: (709) 739-6387
Email: info@nlndp.ca
Progressive Conservative Party
Leader: Tony Wakeham
P.O. Box 8551
St. John’s, NL
A1B 3P2
Phone: (709) 753-6043
Email: info@pcnl.ca
The Office of the Premier
Confederation Building, East Block
P.O. Box 8700
St. John’s, NL
A1B 4J6
Phone: (709) 729-3570
Fax: (709) 729-5875
Email: premier@gov.nl.ca
All accounted: Liberals last to release costed election platform, hours before debate
The Liberal platform promises $130 million in new spending
Newfoundland and Labrador’s Liberal Party followed in the footsteps of the provincial Tories on Wednesday afternoon, releasing its 50-page, fully costed election platform just hours before the leaders’ debate and six days ahead of voting day.
The Liberal platform promises $130 million in new spending, but the party says most of its promises will be paid for by reallocating money from existing budgets.
The base of the platform's priorities runs on the Churchill Falls memorandum of understanding with Quebec, which the party says will generate about $1 billion in revenue each year on average, and emphasizes cost of living, health-care access, and public safety.
The party leads its pitch with what it calls the “once-in-a-generation opportunity to heal a historic wound.”
With an MOU signed the Liberals are promising a future of economic prosperity under their government with $225 billion in revenue over the lifetime of the agreement.
That revenue, the party said, will be used to pay down the province's debt, create 10,000 jobs, and reduce the cost of all electricity bills by spending $70 million to cut the harmonized sales tax for residential customers.
At a glance
To further address cost of living, the Liberals promised to not introduce any new taxes or government fees if re-elected.
Instead, the platform promises to expand programs like the Physical Activity Tax Credit to include additional programs for well-being such as music, dance, visual art, STEM, and life skills programs.
It has also committed to supporting students. The Liberals will offer $17 million in tuition forgiveness for all practicum courses for Newfoundland and Labrador nursing students in RN, LPN, and NP licenced programs who sign a two-year return to service agreement.
For students from rural areas of the province looking to attend Memorial University and the College of the North Atlantic, the Liberals have promised to provide a one-time moving allowance of up to $500 per student to help with moving costs if re-elected.
- Want to know more about what the parties are promising? Check out the CBC N.L. platform tracker
- Want to read more stories from the N.L. campaign trail? Check out the Newfoundland Votes 2025 page
For seniors, the party has promised $13 million to double the Aging Well at Home grant from $400 to $800 per year and the Caregiver Benefit from $400 to $800 per month.
For schools, the party promised to hire another 100 education resources, including teachers and student assistants across the province over the next two years by spending $5.3 million.
The party also promises $5.6 million to reduce crime through new policing salaries and providing nurseries for new Royal Newfoundland Constabulary recruits for the completion of a Police Science (Cadet) Certificate at the Atlantic Police Academy in Prince Edward Island, following a three-year return to service agreement.
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PCs unveil $284M election platform, hours before leaders' debate
PC commitments largely focus on pillars of health care, taxes and public safety
Newfoundland and Labrador's Progressive Conservatives revealed their full election platform just hours ahead of a leaders' debate on Wednesday, pledging $284.6 million in spending, which they will come from reallocated money.
Party Leader Tony Wakeham spent his campaign promising fixes to problems caused by what he calls a decade of Liberal failure.
The pointed jabs are highlighted throughout the platform, with the Liberal Party being referenced 53 times in the 41-page document. The PC party is mentioned 50 times.
The platform covers a wide range of topics, but focuses on three main pillars: health care, taxes and public safety.
That includes the promise of free access to nurse practitioners, which would cost $5 million, and $93 million to ensure residents don't have to pay provincial income tax on the first $15,000 they make each year.
Much of the money the party plans to spend will be taken from elsewhere. It includes $132 million the province spends on agency nurses, and $108 million by eliminating the Liberal government's future fund.
The future fund, established in 2023, includes revenue from one-time sources and non-renewable resources to help pay down the provincial debt, according to the Liberal government's website.
Contributions to the future fund as of the end of March totaled $359.1 million.
- Want to know more about what the parties are promising? Check out the CBC N.L. platform tracker
- Want to read more stories from the N.L. campaign trail? Check out the Newfoundland Votes 2025 page
The PC platform called the fund a "political slush fund," and that it didn't make sense to keep adding to the pile while residents are struggling with the cost of living.
The platform does not lay out a plan to eliminate the province's deficit spending — an estimated $626 million — or a plan to tackle Newfoundland and Labrador's net debt of roughly $20 billion.
Health care, taxes serve as main promises
Wakeham has highlighted the need to improve what he has called the worst health-care system in Canada.
The platform has a key focus on the recruitment and retention of health-care professionals, including nurses and nurse practitioners. Roughly $2.5 million has been committed to expanding the province's school of nursing, along with millions in funding to ensure emergency rooms across the province can be staffed.
Another $3.8 million is promised to bring registered nurses and nurse practitioners to rural parts of the province, while $19 million has been committed to support overhead costs for doctors and nurse practitioners.
Some previously unannounced promises, like a commitment to launching daily medical transport flights out of Gander, weren't costed.
The platform also highlights several promises to lower taxes, like eliminating the province's tax on sugar sweetened beverages and making a temporary reduction on gasoline tax permanent. The change would save drivers eight cents per litre, the platform said.
Wakeham is also promising targeted relief for seniors, committing $14 million to increase the seniors' benefit by 20 per cent and indexing it to inflation.
Public safety has also been a pillar of Wakeham's campaign. He's promising to fund 46 additional police officers, totaling $4.2 million.
Wakeham said a PC government would continue progress on a new adult corrections facility in the metro St. John's region, and work to ensure that there are enough Crown prosecutors to ensure trials proceed without delays.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Terry Roberts
N.L. voters head to advance polls — without key info on party platforms
NDP leader says opponents are disrespecting voters by not sharing platforms
Some voters in Newfoundland and Labrador will be casting advance ballots in the provincial election today, but they'll be doing it without some key information from the major parties.
Advance polls are open in all 40 districts across the province — from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. NT, or 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. AT in most of Labrador.
During the last election, more than 33,000 people voted in advance polls, representing about 20 per cent of the total votes cast.
Like the 2021 election, advanced voting is happening before most of the parties have released their platforms.
The NDP is the only party so far to have released a fully-costed platform — a document that promises to retool how government spends public money, which the party says will lead to big surpluses and tax relief over four years.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, NDP Leader Jim Dinn said the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives showed a lack of respect for voters by not releasing platforms before the advance polls.
"I'm hoping that when people are thinking at the ballot box … that they're also thinking about that there's one party that has shown a definite commitment to trying to make the lives of people of this province better," he said.
The move by the Liberals and PCs to hold off on releasing their platforms until late in the campaign is similar to the parties' strategy from 2021. But in that election, all parties released their platforms before advance poll voting day.
Both Progressive Conservative Leader Tony Wakeham and Liberal Leader John Hogan told reporters on the campaign trail that their platforms would be released before a televised leaders' debate, happening Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. NT.
Neither gave answers to follow-up questions as to exactly when their platforms would be released.
Hogan said he believes he's given voters what they need to see as they head to advance polls.
"I think people have heard from us over the past number of weeks and during the last few months as premier of this province," he said.
- Want to know more about what the parties are promising? Check out the CBC N.L. platform tracker
- Want to read more stories from the N.L. campaign trail? Check out the Newfoundland Votes 2025 page
Wakeham said his daily campaign announcements make up his party's platform, contents and commitments.
"When you see our platform, you will think 'Hey, they've already announced their platform,'" he said. "That's what we've been doing every single day, we've been announcing what's in our platform."
Not all of Wakeham's campaign announcements have come with a price tag — like a promise to build four new ferries or a promise on Tuesday to reintroduce skilled worker courses in the high school curriculum. But, Wakeham said, the costs are included in the platform.
The debate
The 2025 Newfoundland and Labrador leaders' debate is happening Wednesday at 7 p.m. NT.
Broadcasting live from the CBC in St. John's, the debate is produced in co-operation with NTV, VOCM and The Telegram.
Carolyn Stokes, host of CBC's Here & Now, will lead the 90-minute commercial-free debate with Hogan, Wakeham and Dinn.
It will be broadcast live on CBC TV and CBC Radio One, and streamed on CBC Gem, CBC Listen, cbc.ca/nl, YouTube and the CBC Newfoundland and Labrador news streaming channel.
CBC News has been tracking the Liberal, PC and NDP promises and compiled the information into a platform tracker you can find here.
Voters looking for information about where to cast their ballots can find it on the Elections N.L. website or by calling 1-877-729-7987.
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With files from Patrick Butler
Former municipal enemies now fight to be Corner Brook area's next MHA
Charles Pender of the PCs and Jim Parsons of the Liberals want to be the next MHA for Corner Brook
Two former mayors in Corner Brook are vying to be the area's next representative inside the House of Assembly.
The district doesn't make up the whole city; it represents about 14,000 people and was covered by long-time Liberal politician Gerry Byrne for the past decade.
Now PC candidate Charles Pender and Liberal candidate Jim Parsons want in.
Pender, who has 20 years with the city council, said he knew it was time to run when Byrne stepped away from politics in July. Up until August, he was the Qalipu First Nation band manager and CEO of the Qalipu Development Corporation.
Now, he is busy knocking on doors and putting up his big blue signs across the west coast city.
"Now it's time to embrace new ideas and a new direction and put somebody in the office that can change the way we are going," said Pender.
The Parsons headquarters is starting to come together on Broadway, with large red signs plastered above the front door.
Earlier in the summer, Parsons announced he was running as mayor for a third time, but has since switched gears to represent the provincial Liberals.
"I've shown that I have served the people of Corner Brook faithfully for the last eight years, and now I want to do it in the House of Assembly," he said.
When Parsons was mayor in 2023, he had Pender removed from council chambers during a meeting when a debate over a proposed code of conduct got quite heated.
The two say they haven't spoken to each other during this provincial campaign run.
Instead, both are spending a lot of time knocking on doors across the district and say the biggest issues they are hearing from residents are the high cost of living, the lack of housing and issues with the new hospital in Corner Brook.
Health-care woes
The new hospital opened in June 2024, and many residents complain about long wait times in the emergency room.
"I know we have a new hospital but the people are not there to run it. And that's very sad. And the wait time when you go in there, you are talking 16 hours to see a doctor," said concerned resident Irene Snow. "We don't have enough doctors here at all."
The Corner Brook district has candidates including two former mayors who want to make the leap to provincial politicsPender believes the Liberals have their numbers wrong and the need lies with more long-term care beds and long-term care facilities in the city.
"I fail to understand the lack of planning to not have an adequate number of beds. I feel like somebody should predict the number of beds we need," he said.
Parsons said the hospital woes should be fixed with the onset of a new family care team at the Corner Brook Health Centre, or the old hospital.
"We are adding additional long-term care beds and transitional-care beds as well. That's an obvious need. We were able to fight for and get a new hospital. Now we have to make sure it's staffed right," he said. "There are new ER doctors coming. Radiation therapy is about to start as well."
NDP candidate Jean Graham is from Corner Brook but campaigning from St. John's.
She hopes to give people in the district another choice on the ballot, and she believes the answer to health-care issues is to talk to the doctors.
- Want to know more about what the parties are promising? Check out the CBC N.L. platform tracker
- Want to read more stories from the N.L. campaign trail? Check out the N.L. Votes 2025 page
"Decades of previous governments have created a system that is run on numbers. And the people, both the patients and the very valuable people who work in the system and care for the patients and diagnose and run the tests, those people are not being listened to," she said.
"They have simple and straight forward solutions."
Graham plans on sticking to social media for most of her campaigning, but Parsons and Pender say they will be ramping up their headquarters and putting out more signs once the municipal election is over on Oct. 2.
The provincial election is Oct.14.
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Corrections
- A previous version of this story stated that both Jim Parsons and Charles Pender removed from council champers in 2023. In fact, Parsons was mayor and had Pender removed.Sep 28, 2025 12:17 PM ADT
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N.L's former NDP leader is running as an Independent — in 2 different districts
Alison Coffin will be on ballots in Carbonear-Trinity-Bay de Verde and Harbour Grace-Port de Grave
Former Newfoundland and Labrador NDP leader Alison Coffin is re-entering the political ring, but in a way that is believed to be a provincial first.
Coffin is running as an Independent candidate in two different districts.
She made the announcement on her website Monday, listing Carbonear-Trinity-Bay de Verde and Harbour Grace-Port de Grave as her districts of choice.
"I've been listening to the people in this community, and they say they want a different voice. They'd like the voice of an Independent representing them, and they'd like that Independent voice to be mine," Coffin told CBC News on Monday.
"A lot of people don't feel that their government is an accurate representation of what their needs are, and that their voices are not being heard in the House of Assembly. And that's resounding."
In an emailed statement to CBC News, Elections Newfoundland and Labrador confirmed there's no rule in the province's Elections Act against running in multiple districts, and there's also nothing to prevent it.
Running as a candidate in more than one electoral district is illegal in other provinces like Nova Scotia.
Coffin has been out of provincial politics since October 2021. (Patrick Butler/Radio-Canada)
Coffin has been out of provincial politics since she resigned as leader of the NDP in October 2021.
She has given up party membership to run independently, she said.
But what would happen if Coffin were to win both seats in the House of Assembly? Coffin said she isn't entirely sure.
She does believe that current legislation under the House of Assembly Act could allow her to serve as an MHA and speak on behalf of multiple districts.
- Want to know more about what the parties are promising? Check out the CBC N.L. platform tracker
- Want to read more stories from the N.L. campaign trail? Check out the N.L. Votes 2025 page
CBC News has asked Elections Newfoundland and Labrador to clarify, and if Coffin could receive multiple salaries. Election's N.L. hasn't responded.
"I imagine that, you know, a number of legal minds are already contemplating what the implications are should that happen," Coffin said.
Loophole highlights need for election reform: Coffin
Coffin lost her seat in the 2021 general election in St. John's East-Quidi Vidi, but she didn't stop making headlines.
The former leader was one of the faces behind a court challenge over the election, which faced unprecedented changes and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coffin alleged issues during the election — including special ballots — resulted in her right to vote being denied.
Newfoundland and Labrador will head to the polls on Oct. 14. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press)
The lawsuit was ultimately resolved, and led to Liberal MHA John Abbott — who beat Coffin by just 53 votes — tendering his resignation.
Coffin said the lawsuit is, in part, why she isn't running in St. John's East-Quidi Vidi this time around. She said the lawsuit made her privy to large amounts of voter information — including canvassing sheets for different parties — and didn't feel comfortable using that information to run in the district.
Coffin has long highlighted the need for electoral reform since the 2021 election, and believes running as a candidate in multiple districts can further highlight that need.
However, she said, she is primarily running to give voters in the two districts more options to have their voices heard.
"I'm going to do something that's quite unusual. I mean we all recognize that this has not happened before, but we're also going to push the boundaries of electoral reform. And in doing so, I can spearhead this like I have been for the last four years," Coffin said.
"There are very huge gaps in our electoral system and in our Act that need to be fixed. And this is another way that's going to cause that to happen."
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Carolyn Stokes and Patrick Butler
NDP housing announcement goes awry when resident blames shortage on immigration
Woman had been invited by the NDP to speak about her experience
An NDP election announcement on housing took an unexpected turn on Wednesday, when a resident of St. John's — who had been invited by the party to speak about their struggle to get housing — took to the podium to blame immigration for the country's housing crisis.
Speaking on Livingstone Street, where a fire burned through six N.L. Housing units in March, NDP Leader Jim Dinn committed to building 1,000 public housing units per year if elected.
Standing alongside Dinn was Shirley Gallagher, a retiree who returned to the province from Alberta and struggled for months to find a place to live.
She was listed in the NDP's announcement as a "validator," which the party says are citizens with lived experience in dealing with the challenges the party hopes to address.
- Want to know more about what the parties are promising? Check out the CBC N.L. platform tracker
- Want to read more stories from the N.L. campaign trail? Check out the NL Votes 2025 page
"Our governments are not doing their job. The federal government are not doing their job. They opened the borders, and that's why we've got the crisis, I think," Gallagher said when her time to speak at the podium came.
"Why else is the housing [in a] crisis? The federal government … [opened] the borders to Canada."
When asked by a reporter if she meant the housing shortage was the result of immigration, Gallagher said "they're letting too many people in apparently, obviously, and that's why."
"I mean, I'm a Canadian citizen. I worked 50 years of my life, and I can't afford a house. This is something wrong with this picture," she said.
The NDP had a woman at a housing campaign event share her experience. It didn’t go as plannedDinn was asked if he agreed with Gallagher's comments. He said that wasn't the view of the NDP, and the housing crisis has to do with a lack of available units, which he hopes his party can address.
"This is not my — our — point of view. It's not about the people. It's about a failure on government to actually come up with deeply affordable housing," Dinn said. "That's always been the case."
Dinn's announcement centred around his party's housing plan.
The party, if elected, promised to create a new Crown corporation called N.L. Homes, which would focus on the growing waitlist for affordable housing across the province.
The plan would cost $150 million a year, with the goal of building 1,000 public housing units per year.
The corporation would be self-funded, Dinn said, with its own responsibility to raise capital through loans.
"They're all in desperate need of affordable housing, and we see nothing done," Dinn said.
"We're focused on bringing you a better deal when it comes to solving the housing crisis, one that we've seen increase in the four years since 2021, and certainly in the six years since I took office."
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With files from Mark Quinn and Patrick Butler
2021 N.L. elections challenge still hasn't gone to trial, as new campaign looms
Alison Coffin, Jim Lester, and Sheila Fitzgerald hope court dates will finally be set Monday
After nearly four years and many hours spent sifting through gigabytes of data, three former Newfoundland and Labrador politicians are still waiting for their day in court to challenge what they say was a botched 2021 provincial election.
"We need to make sure people have the right to vote and that voting is done properly," said Alison Coffin, the former N.L. NDP leader who lost her St. John's East-Quidi Vidi seat in that election to Liberal John Abbott by 53 votes.
Coffin, along with former Mount Pearl North PC MHA Jim Lester who lost his seat by 109 votes, and former PC candidate Sheila Fitzgerald who lost in the district of St. Barbe-L'Anse aux Meadows by 216 votes, launched a controverted elections application in April 2021, and hope a judge will set trial dates on Monday.
"There were people in my district and throughout the province that, their right to vote and democracy was compromised because of their inability or barriers to them accessing ballots and exercising that right," Lester told CBC News.
Voter turnout for the 2021 election was low — only 48 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot in the 10-week election, which saw a bumpy last-minute shift to mail-in voting due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
The three candidates allege some voters never received a voting kit and others voted in the wrong district. They also claim some voters received a special ballot without proving their identity or even asking for one.
Bruce Chaulk, the former CEO of Elections N.L., has denied allegations of irregularities during the 2021 election.
John Samms, the lawyer for John Abbott, has argued that even if there were irregularities, they wouldn't have changed the results of the election because they would have affected all candidates.
Coffin said it took nearly four years to comb through the data and interview witnesses to build the case. The trio are asking the court for a two-week trial.
"We are talking about phone logs. We are talking about the record-keeping of Elections Newfoundland and Labrador of who applied for a ballot, what type of ballot they applied for, did they vote in person and all of the background information, lots and lots of emails back and forth," she said.
After the last election, Premier Andrew Furey, who announced his resignation on Tuesday, promised to reform the Elections Act to avoid a repeat of the chaotic 2021 campaign.
With only a few months to go
before the next election, opposition MHAs say they doubt the Liberals
will be able to keep their promise. A so-called "all-party" committee on
electoral reform, announced in April 2021, has met only once.
Opposition members refused to join or have since left the committee.
When pressed on the government's commitment to reforming the act in an
interview in November, Justice Minister Bernie Davis refused to promise
any changes would be implemented in time for the next campaign.
"Even if legislation is changed today, the time [need] to implement that is not there," Lester said.
Both Lester and Coffin hope to have their case heard before the looming provincial election, and say they have reached the point where they believe they can win their case.
"We have the evidence to support that, and we think we can justify that there was a controverted election," Coffin said.
If the three had won their seats in 2021, the Liberals would have formed a minority government instead of its current majority.
"That would have dramatically changed the debate, the legislation that's passed, the types of money that's being spent. It really changes just the nature of politics in Newfoundland and Labrador," Coffin said.
If they win the case, Coffin, Lester and Fitzgerald want byelections held in their districts.
In the meantime, Lester plans on seeking re-election in the 2025 general election in his former riding of Mount Pearl North.
Coffin wouldn't say whether she intends to run again or not.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Mark Quinn and Patrick Butler
After four years, a Newfoundland man still fighting for his vote in the 2021 election
Whymarrh Whitby says he never received a ballot for the 2021 general election
A hearing Monday in Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court ended exactly how Whymarrh Whitby hoped it wouldn't — in another delay.
The St. John's man has spent the past four years embroiled in a slow-moving lawsuit that alleges flaws in the province's chaotic 2021 provincial election denied him his right to vote.
"I still care about it, because it's still a thing that matters to the public," Whitby told reporters after Monday's hearing.
"Everyone should have the ability to vote in an election. I think it's a shame that there were people like myself who couldn't, despite many best efforts. It mattered then, and it should still matter now."
His lawyers are ready to go to trial and the constant delays have been draining, he added.
Whitby says he never received a ballot after the 2021 provincial election was sideswiped by a COVID-19 outbreak, prompting election officials to cancel all in-person voting and shift to a mail-in vote. The Liberals won a slim majority with a voter turnout of 51 per cent, according to Elections NL.
Whitby's lawsuit is co-signed by former provincial NDP leader Alison Coffin, who lost her seat in the St. John's East-Quidi Vidi district in 2021 by 53 votes.
Coffin is seeking a byelection in her district, where Whitby was registered to vote.
The suit alleges Bruce Chaulk, the former chief electoral officer, failed to run an election that was fair, impartial and in compliance with the province's Elections Act.
But with another provincial election expected this year, Andrew Fitzgerald, a lawyer representing Elections NL, says the lawsuit is moot. He'll make that argument on March 20 when the case is back in court.
Coffin acknowledged that it will likely still be weeks before the judge even decides if the case will go to trial, adding that time is running out. But like Whitby, she said it's in the best interests of the public to keep going.
"We had people coming to us saying they could not vote. Their democratic right was violated, and we are bumping up against another general election without this matter being resolved," she said.
"Whymarrh Whitby still has not had the opportunity to vote in the last election. He wants some guarantees that he can vote in the next one."
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Resolution of Controverted Election Applications
Office of the Chief Electoral Officer
June 11, 2025
Mr. Travis Wooley, Chief Electoral Officer (A) of Newfoundland and Labrador advises that a resolution has been reached between all parties involved in the Controverted Election Applications from the 2021 General Election.
A joint statement of all parties to the proceedings follows:
Joint Statement Regarding Resolution of Contested Election Action
In the interest of preserving public trust, institutional integrity, and the democratic process, the undersigned, the parties in the ongoing litigation in relation to the conduct of the 2021 Newfoundland and Labrador General Election in the district of St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi, hereby announce that they have reached a full and final resolution of the legal proceedings before the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal which has sought to contest the outcome of the 2021 General Election in St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi.
The 2021 General Election, which took place at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, was an unprecedented election, not just in Newfoundland and Labrador but in Canada – other provinces as well as the Federal government also had to grapple with these challenges during COVID-19 elections. The rapid onset of heightened restrictions across the Province resulted in an election primarily conducted through mail-in ballots.
Elections Newfoundland & Labrador acknowledges that there were errors in the administration of some special ballots in the General Election in St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi as a result of the unprecedented actions taken to conduct the election amidst the pandemic and its associated public health restrictions. While the parties remain hopeful that the need for a pandemic election does not arise again, conducting an election in a pandemic provided a significant opportunity to consider how elections can be conducted in an ever-changing world. Since the 2021 general election, Elections Newfoundland & Labrador has implemented a new Elections Management System to manage Special Ballot Voting, Voter Registration, and other administrative functions of election events. This new system has been successfully used in all by-elections conducted by Elections Newfoundland & Labrador since 2021.
Elections Newfoundland & Labrador remains committed to conducting all provincial elections in a manner which is fair, impartial, and in compliance with the law. Elections Newfoundland & Labrador is therefore committed to working with all parties, candidates, and electors to the betterment of the elections process moving forward.
While the parties remain in disagreement on the extent to which any errors affected the result of the election in St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi, in recognition of the importance of maintaining confidence and integrity in our electoral system as well as avoiding the public expense of a lengthy trial, the Honourable John G. Abbott, E.C.N.L., the Member of the House of Assembly for the District of St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi, Minister of Seniors, and the Minister Responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation, will step down from his elected office. As stated by the Court of Appeal, Mr. Abbott is accused of no wrongdoing in his participation in the 2021 General Election.
The official results of the 2021 election in St. John’s East- Quidi Vidi separated Ms. Coffin and Mr. Abbott by 53 votes. Given Mr. Abbott’s decision to step down from his seat, Ms. Coffin has agreed to withdraw the controverted elections application. Ms. Coffin’s objective through these proceedings has been to ensure integrity and confidence in the electoral system and acknowledges this result is best for the parties and the public alike.
All parties agree that Mr. Whymarrh Whitby was inadvertently disenfranchised in the 2021 General Election and ought to have had the opportunity to vote in the St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi District. Mr. Whitby has remained a valuable non-partisan participant in the controverted elections action. All parties acknowledge Mr. Whitby’s dedication and participation in this process and would like to thank him for bringing important issues forward to improve the electoral process for all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in the future.
All parties wish to thank Mr. Abbott for his sacrifice in resigning his seat in the public interest in preventing a lengthy trial and the public expense associated with it, even though the parties remain in disagreement over whether the administrative errors affected the 2021 election result in St. John’s East Quidi Vidi. All parties wish to thank Mr. Whitby and Ms. Coffin for their persistence and dedication in bringing these democratic concerns to the public and court’s attention.
The parties have agreed to resolve these legal proceedings voluntarily and with a shared commitment to democratic values and fair and impartial elections in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Signed,
Alison Coffin
Whymarrh Whitby
John G. Abbott
Travis Wooley, Chief Electoral Officer (Acting)
-30-
Media contact
Rexanne Eddy
Elections Newfoundland and Labrador
Office of the Chief Electoral Officer
709-729-1474
rexanneeddy@electionsnl.ca
In vast Central Newfoundland, these 3 candidates are vying for a seat in Ottawa
Cost of living, crime and housing among top issues in region, candidates say
Three candidates are vying for office in Central Newfoundland, a vast riding that makes up the bulk of the island's interior.
It's home to the province's only incumbent Conservative, who's running again to keep his seat in Ottawa, as well as two newbies to electoral politics.
The people of the central region formerly voted as constituents of the Coast of Bays-Central-Notre Dame, which was renamed in 2022.
In the run-up to election day on April 28, CBC News spoke with contenders across the province about their political chops, passions and platforms.
These are the candidates for Central Newfoundland:
Clifford Small, Conservative Party
The Central Newfoundland incumbent entered federal politics by upsetting the riding in 2021, beating out Scott Simms, the Liberal MP at the time.
Clifford Small has spent this campaign making the rounds, hoping to secure his seat in Ottawa yet again.
"The most important issue at the doors is cost of living," Small said. "At least half the doors are concerned about how expensive life's gotten over the last 10 years."
The price of food, he said, is weighing heavily on his constituents.
"The gains in prices over the last four or five years are through the roof … people's money isn't worth what it used to be. And they see it in a bag of groceries."
Under the threat of a prolonged and unpredictable trade war with the United States, Small says he has a plan to diversify his riding's economic output. Much of that rests on natural resources like gold, iron ore, copper and nickel, he said.
"We have to support the tremendous opportunity we have in mining and continue to support our prospecting and our geologists to make more finds," he said. "Newfoundland is sitting on one of the largest mineral belts in the world."
Housing, too, is on his agenda. Small says if elected he intends to help communities obtain federal funding.
"We're going to empower municipalities to increase the number of homes that they build every year. And the municipalities that do the best will receive the most in federal grants to help them develop their infrastructure," he said.
Small says he's taken his role seriously over the last four years, and says crime and the cost of living are two of the major issues his constituents want action on.
"I take what the people tell me at the doors and I bring that to Ottawa and I voice what they have to say to me to Ottawa.
"People are fearful," Small said.
"They're afraid to go to sleep at night. We don't knock on doors as late as we normally would because people just don't want to come to the doors once the sun starts to set.… We're going to reform the criminal justice system and empower the police to do their job to lower the crime in our communities. And that's a guarantee that we can give to the people of central Newfoundland."
Lynette Powell, Liberal Party
Political rookie Lynette Powell began her working life in fish plants before becoming a medical trainer, and later serving as the president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association.
She, too, is seeing fear at the doors — but says it's mainly about the U.S. administration and its proclivity for trade threats.
"I think the ballot question in this election is who is going to be the best person to lead Canada in the next few years, with the United States being not the United States any of us knew?" she said.
"I think Mark Carney is the man. I think he understands the economy. He's going to build the economy, but he's still going to protect our social programs that we need so much here in Newfoundland and Labrador."
Part of the defence, Powell argues, should be bolstering her riding's tourism industry.
"Our best resource is the people here," she said. "I've seen tourism operators across the province who are begging for us to improve our tourism industry in central Newfoundland. We need to be able to bring more people in, right?
"We need to make Gander Airport a hub for us."
Housing, too, is on her radar. Powell thinks Ottawa should be at the forefront of a housing boom, much like it was after World War II, she said.
"We need to build big," she said, "and I think the government needs to get back into the business of building."
Darian Vincent, New Democratic Party
Darian Vincent, originally from British Columbia, moved to Newfoundland as the cost of living crisis pushed him out.
Now a retail worker in Bay Roberts, he too says affordability, health care and housing prices are on everyone's minds.
The land in his riding is sparsely populated — and can be leveraged, he said, to help with the housing shortage.
"There's a lot of federal land that is open and appears to be usable to build homes," he said.
"There's thousands and thousands and thousands of acres that can be put towards that. And then we will be able to work on potentially capping … the prices that those homes go for, or capping the rent prices that take place within it. Both are on the table."
Vincent draws on his time on Vancouver Island as a prime example of where Newfoundland and Labrador shouldn't go, affordability-wise.
"It's not just Newfoundland and Labrador that's watching prices skyrocket. You can pick pretty much any city and town in the country and they're all watching houses that were $200,000 a couple years ago … now that's a $400,000 home.
"They're not worth that much, right?"
Vincent, a newcomer to politics, says he doesn't know all the answers, but argues that's a strength rather than a weakness.
"I am very much a layman when it comes to this. I don't know what I don't know. And the goal for me is to be able to hopefully find the people that do have those answers," he said.
"I feel like that's a lot of what politicians are missing, is politicians are pretending to be experts. And at the end of the day, they're just not."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Troy Turner
Andrew Furey steps down as premier of N.L. after 4½ years in office
Surgeon-turned-politician makes surprise announcement
Andrew Furey — the 14th premier of Newfoundland and Labrador — has announced his resignation.
The move came as a shock on Tuesday afternoon, as Furey addressed the media and his supporters on short notice, immediately following a caucus meeting at Confederation Building in St. John's.
The province has been abuzz with rumblings of a forthcoming election for weeks. Instead, the premier announced he'd be returning to his job as an orthopedic surgeon.
"It has been a wild and unexpected journey, right from the start to bring us here to today, to the finish," he said. "It is with a heart full of pride and hard-earned confidence in the future of Newfoundland and Labrador, that I must now move on."
He finished his address with tears in his eyes, saying: "God bless the beautiful people of this province, and God guard thee Newfoundland and Labrador." He then walked off the stage to his wife and kids, wrapping them in his arms.
The premier was tight-lipped with his decision, with even his deputy premier Siobhan Coady saying she found out just before his announcement.
Decision comes after Furey crosses off major goal
His resignation comes three months after securing a memorandum of understanding with Quebec on a new deal for hydroelectric power flowing from Churchill Falls in Labrador.
The memorandum of understanding would see the controversial 1969 contract torn up and replaced 16 years early. Furey and Quebec Premier François Legault say the new agreement would provide $200 billion in value to each province over its lifetime.
FULL SPEECH | Andrew Furey announces his resignation as N.L. premierFurey referred to the accomplishment on Tuesday as "history made and past wrongs rewritten," and called it a "rock solid foundation for our province moving forward."
He also made reference to "blind sides" — such as the adversity of the pandemic, the financial woes of the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project, and the potential trade war with the U.S.
In recent months, Furey has been on the front lines of that fight, making several trips south of the border with other Canadian premiers. After meetings earlier this month, Furey told reporters that President Donald Trump's officials informed them the president was "very serious" about his 51st state comments.
"We're looking at four years of erratic, crazy, bonkers behaviour by the president of the United States," Furey said on Tuesday. "This is going to be a pervasive problem for Canadians for the next four years."
Furey said the province's natural resources put it in an optimal position for economic uncertainty and a trade war with Canada's closest ally.
Decision made with family in mind
After departing the stage and hugging members of his family and caucus, both Andrew and Allison Furey spoke to a crowd of reporters.
"It was the balance of family, combined with the electoral timing rules and what I felt was best for the stability of the province," he said.
The province's fixed election laws mean voters must head to the polls in October or November — depending on the timing of a federal election — at the latest. The province also has a rule stating there has to be an election within one year of a governing party changing leaders.
Furey explains what happens next as he resigns as N.L. premier amid Trump turmoilFurey said that could have resulted in him leading the Liberals through an election before the fall, only to trigger another election once he stepped down.
"We felt that this was the most stable thing to do, the most responsible to do for the people of this province," he said.
Furey confirmed he will stay on until a new Liberal leader has been chosen. He said he will not be running in the upcoming federal election.
'We've enjoyed every second of this'
Furey's tenure as premier wasn't all roses.
He ascended to the role in August of 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. He faced scrutiny over the decision to call an election in the spring of 2021, which was blindsided by an outbreak of COVID-19 cases that caused voting to be delayed.
Even as the pressures of the pandemic relented, Furey was in charge of a health-care system in a state of permanent crisis. There was controversy with the province's reliance on travel nurses, a fisheries protest that disrupted a provincial budget last year and a fishing trip with a billionaire that resulted in a conflict of interest probe — he was ultimately cleared of conflicts in the latter case.
On the bright side, Furey pointed to the MOU with Quebec, a multi-billion dollar rate mitigation deal with the federal government, and the repatriation of an unknown soldier from France as his favourite accomplishments.
"We've enjoyed every second of this," he told reporters.
Allison Furey told reporters how proud she was of her husband over the past five years.
"I think the province knows Andrew as somebody who gives 150 per cent, and he's done that for the last five years in this role as premier," she said.
"I'm feeling a little bit of relief, a little bit of sadness and nostalgia. I think our future is bright. I think he's left this place in a better spot than he found it, and we're very proud of him."
Furey also received a message of support from the Quebec premier immediately following his announcement. The two formed an unlikely friendship during their time as premiers, setting aside decades of bad blood between the neighbouring provinces.
"I will remember for the rest of my life what we accomplished together in reaching a new agreement on the Churchill Falls power plant, its expansion and on the new Gull Island power plant," Legault wrote on social media. "With this historic agreement, we have transformed the relationship between Quebec and Newfoundland, making it one of the strongest relationships in the country."
What's next?
Furey will stay on as premier until a new leader is selected — a process deputy premier Siobhan Coady says remains without timelines, since nobody knew this decision was coming.
His resignation comes at a tricky time for the party, as there were questions about whether or not a number of senior caucus members — Coady included — would be seeking re-election.
When asked if she would consider a run, Coady said she hadn't had a chance to think about it.
"I haven't even spoken to my husband since this announcement," she said with a chuckle.
"Let me take a few days, obviously. I think there will be a lot of people who will think about this over the next number of days. There are a lot of leaders in our caucus and a lot of leaders in the community who might want to step up as well."
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Newfoundland and Labrador Churchill River Study and Hydroelectric Developments
In December 2024, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro and Hydro‑Québec signed an agreement in principle for the generation of hydroelectricity in Labrador. This is an historic opportunity for prosperity through jobs, economic growth and access to new, clean energy.
Project partners
Studies planned for Labrador in 2025
Next steps
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Summer and fall 2025
Technical and environmental studies in Labrador
-
Before April 2026
Final agreement among the parties
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2026
Start of construction of Gull Island temporary installations (workcamp, access road, etc.)
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2027
Start of construction of Gull Island facility
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2029
Start of construction of the extension of the Churchill Falls plant
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2030
Start of construction of power transmission facili
Newfoundland history has lessons for 'imperialist' Trump regime: Furey
Trump aims to create instability, Furey
The outgoing premier of Newfoundland and Labrador says he's drawing on the province's history as he urges Canadians not to underestimate U.S. President Donald Trump's "imperialist" ambitions.
In a recent interview, Andrew Furey was clear: he says Trump is launching an attack on Canada by sowing economic chaos to create instability.
And he warned that economic pressure can be just as effective as tanks and gunfire at eroding a nation's independence and sovereignty.
"In Newfoundland and Labrador, we know that all too well," the premier said. "It was the economic forces, not the military forces, that caused us to lose our independence and choose to join Canada."
Trump has kept Canadians frustrated and bewildered for months, threatening punishing tariffs on Canadian goods and then changing his plan at the last minute. As of Thursday evening, he paused 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian exports that are "compliant" with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
Goods that do not satisfy CUSMA rules of origin are taxed at 25 per cent, and energy products and potash that fall outside the CUSMA preference are taxed at 10 per cent.
Meanwhile, Trump regularly calls the Canadian prime minister "Governor Justin Trudeau," and has threatened to use "economic force" to make Canada the 51st state.
"He has shown by his threats that he has an expansive agenda, a territorial agenda, and that feeds an imperialist approach," Furey said.
Jeff Webb, a history professor at Memorial University, agrees that dire economic circumstances influenced Newfoundlanders when they voted to become a Canadian province in 1949. But they didn't do it under force, he said in a recent interview.
Newfoundland was a self-governing dominion of the British Empire until 1933, when Canada and Britain stepped in to help bail the region out of financial hardship. The Great Depression hit Newfoundland hard, and the dominion had accrued a large debt sending soldiers to fight in the First World War.
As a condition of the bailout, Newfoundland gave up self-governance, and instead agreed to be ruled by a commission appointed by the British government, according to Memorial University's Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage website.
By the 1940s, Britain and Canada thought it would be best for Newfoundland to join Canada, but they didn't force it, Webb said. When 52 per cent of Newfoundlanders voted in 1949 to join Canada rather than return to self-government, many hoped Confederation would bring financial stability and help them avoid the destitution that plagued the region under its own government, he said.
"We didn't get arm-twisted into this," Webb said about Newfoundland's Confederation with Canada. "It's incredibly different from what we're getting now. And what we're getting now is crazy, nonsensical bullying."
"Part of the craziness of this is that there are no sensible parallels," he said of Trump's behaviour toward his northern neighbour.
Historian Sean Cadigan noted that some of Newfoundland's hardship before it joined Canada were a result of the Trump-like tariffs it imposed on foreign manufacturers. It was already costly to make things in Newfoundland -- an island in the North Atlantic Ocean — and the taxes just made everything expensive, he said.
The cost of living became unbearable, particularly in rural Newfoundland.
"The lessons that I've learned from protectionism, is that it just hurts a lot of people, especially rural people," the Memorial University professor said. "Tariffs create tremendous social and economic divisions. They create winners and losers, and the stress among the losers can be terrible."
The United States under Trump is absolutely "acting in an imperial manner," said Blayne Haggart, an associate political science professor at Brock University. And he agrees with Furey: Canada needs to take it seriously.
"I think we're taking the threat of the tariffs seriously," Haggart said in an interview. "But what comes next? …I don't know yet if Canadians, and particularly our political leaders, fully understand what it means to chart a separate course from the United States."
That will involve costly measures such as strengthening the Canadian military, relying less on the United States for regulatory approvals for drugs and manufacturing, and even strengthening weather forecasting systems as Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency fires workers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
But instead of having a government digging into those discussions, Canada has an outgoing prime minister and an upcoming federal election, Haggart said.
"I'm 52 years old. This is the worst crisis that Canada has faced in my lifetime," he said. "It's been disappointing to me that the federal leadership vacuum was allowed to persist for so long … I understand the reasons for it but it's still incredibly concerning."
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With files from The Associated Press
From: Minister of Finance / Ministre des Finances <minister-ministre@fin.gc.ca>
Date: Fri, Feb 21, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Subject: Automatic reply: Methinks King has been reading my emails to Ford et al N'esy Pas?
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
The
Department of Finance acknowledges receipt of your electronic
correspondence. Please be assured that we appreciate receiving your
comments.
Le ministère des Finances Canada accuse réception de votre courriel. Nous vous assurons que vos commentaires sont les bienvenus.
Date: Fri, Feb 21, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Subject: Automatic Reply
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Thank you for writing to the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
Due to the volume of correspondence addressed to the Minister, please note that there may be a delay in processing your email. Rest assured that your message will be carefully reviewed.
We do not respond to correspondence that contains offensive language.
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Merci d'avoir écrit à l'honorable Arif Virani, ministre de la Justice et procureur
général du Canada.
En raison du volume de correspondance adressée au ministre, veuillez
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Nous ne répondons pas à la correspondance contenant un langage offensant.
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Feb 21, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Subject: Methinks King has been reading my emails to Ford et al N'esy Pas?
To: <info@on.ndp.ca>, Leader's Office <leader@gpo.ca>, <contact@ontariondp.ca>, <bonnie@ontarioliberal.ca>, <daniel@rubiconstrategy.com>, <jkott@capitolcounsel.com>, premier <premier@ontario.ca>, premier <premier@leg.gov.mb.ca>, Office of the Premier <scott.moe@gov.sk.ca>, premier <premier@gov.bc.ca>, premier <premier@gov.nl.ca>, premier <premier@gov.pe.ca>, <premierministre@quebec.ca>, Premier <premier@novascotia.ca>, premier <premier@gov.ab.ca>, premier <premier@gnb.ca>, <premier@yukon.ca>, <pakeeagok6@gov.nu.ca>, premier <premier@gov.nt.ca>
Cc: <contact@airquotesmedia.com>, rfife <rfife@globeandmail.com>, Robert. Jones <Robert.Jones@cbc.ca>, David.Akin <David.Akin@globalnews.ca>, <info@checkmategr.com>, hon.melanie.joly <hon.melanie.joly@canada.ca>, mcu <mcu@justice.gc.ca>, fin.minfinance-financemin.fin <fin.minfinance-financemin.fin@canada.ca>, <ps.ministerofpublicsafety-ministredelasecuritepublique.sp@ps-sp.gc.ca>, pierre.poilievre <pierre.poilievre@parl.gc.ca>, pm <pm@pm.gc.ca>, jagmeet.singh <jagmeet.singh@parl.gc.ca>, <Loretta@canadaspremiers.ca>, <bdara@ontarioliberal.ca>, <info@feschuk-reid.com>, <herle@rubiconstrategy.com>, <kristine.bunker2@ontario.ca>, <Kory@rubiconstrategy.com>, washington field <washington.field@ic.fbi.gov>, Mark.Blakely <Mark.Blakely@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, Marco.Mendicino <Marco.Mendicino@parl.gc.ca>, Sean.Fraser <Sean.Fraser@parl.gc.ca>, Michael.Duheme <Michael.Duheme@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, Donald Trump Jr. <donjr@email.donjr.com>
Dennis King steps down as Prince Edward Island's premier after nearly 6 years in the job
New interim leader and premier to be chosen 'in the hours ahead,' King says
Dennis King says he is stepping down as the premier of Prince Edward Island, calling the job he has held for nearly six years "a privilege and an honour of a lifetime."
The Progressive Conservative politician, who's 53, made the announcement during a news conference Thursday afternoon, with members of his cabinet standing in a line behind him. He is also stepping down as leader of the PC Party and as MLA for the district of Brackley-Hunter River, with all the resignations effective at 1 p.m. on Friday.
In response to a question from a reporter, King also said he did not intend to ever seek elected office again, and specifically ruled out running federally.
King told the media that he decided to leave politics after a long conversation with his family over the holidays, noting that he struggled with the decision.
David Amos
Content Deactivated
The trip comes just a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced punishing tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum — with the threat of more tariffs looming.
"Sometimes in politics and business, you have to deal with shifting sand, but this is like quicksand under our feet," King told CBC News of the political and economic uncertainty levied by Trump.
"The rules just keep changing, and I think it's frustrating for many of the politicians that we're speaking to south of the border."
Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai announces his intention to step down as Premier
Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai issued the following statement:
“Over the past 16 years, I have had the privilege to serve Yukoners as a Whitehorse city councillor, MLA for Porter Creek South, a Cabinet Minister and now as Premier.
“Throughout that time, Yukoners have welcomed me into their homes, workplaces and communities. Together, we have navigated moments of joy and sadness and worked to build a stronger, more inclusive territory.
“Serving as Premier of the Yukon has been the greatest honour of my life. Today, however, I am announcing my intention to step aside as Premier of the Yukon and Yukon Liberal Party Leader. This will trigger a leadership race, which will select the next Yukon Liberal Party Leader and Premier of the Yukon. I will continue to serve as a Cabinet Minister at the pleasure of the next Premier and will serve for the remainder of my term as MLA for Porter Creek South.
“Over the past nine years, our government has worked with Yukoners to accomplish so much.
“Together we brought telecommunications redundancy to the North with the Dempster Fibre Project, made significant investments in renewable energy infrastructure and advanced land use planning and conservation. We formed partnerships with Yukon First Nations in the energy, mining, tourism and housing sectors and secured funding from the federal government to build a new convention centre. We’ve worked on behalf of Yukoners to invest in health and wellness across the territory, advanced programs like affordable child care and paid sick leave, guided our territory through the pandemic and economic recovery and are now working collaboratively with provincial and territorial partners and the federal government to fight back against the Trump administration’s threats to our economy and our way of life.
“The Yukon is an extraordinary place – where dreams are fulfilled and lives can flourish. It has been a privilege to serve as the MLA for Porter Creek South, as Minister and as your Premier. I want to thank my wife and our sons for their support – I can’t wait to spend more time with you all. I look forward to stepping back from public life, spending more time with my friends and family and enjoying all that our incredible territory has to offer.”
Laura Seeley
Cabinet Communications
867-332-7627
laura.seeley@yukon.ca
Nunavut premier announces he isn't seeking re-election
P.J. Akeeagok says he's stepping aside to spend more time with his family
Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok says he will not seek re-election when his term comes to a close in the fall.
Akeeagok wrote on Facebook Tuesday morning that he is "humbled every day by the trust Nunavummiut" placed in him and is, "deeply proud of what we've achieved together."
Akeeagok, who represents the riding of Iqaluit-Niaqunnguu, wrote that he decided not seek re-election so that he can spend more time with his family.
Canada’s Premiers Advocate for Stronger Ties During Visit to Washington, D.C.
Canada’s Premiers Advocate for Stronger Ties During Visit to Washington, D.C.
OTTAWA, February 12, 2025 – All 13 of Canada’s Premiers travelled to Washington, D.C. this week as part of a joint mission to strengthen Canada-U.S. relations. Doug Ford, Chair of the Council of the Federation, led the group of Premiers, who are united in their view that tariffs on Canadian goods, if implemented, would hurt workers and businesses on both sides of the border.
Canada’s Premiers met with bipartisan members of Congress, and American and Canadian business leaders. Canada’s Premiers were also invited to the White House to meet with senior advisers to President Trump. During this discussion, Canada’s Premiers stressed the need to work together to avoid tariffs which would hurt workers on both sides of the border. They also listened and learned about opportunities to work with the Trump administration to align on and achieve shared priorities, including creating jobs, growing economies and protecting communities from the impact of fentanyl and other illegal drugs.
The Council of the Federation comprises all 13 provincial and territorial Premiers. It enables Premiers to work collaboratively, form closer ties, foster constructive relationships among governments, and show leadership on important issues that matter to Canadians.
– 30 –
Media enquiries may be directed to:
Kristine Bunker
Assistant Director | Issues & Media Relations
Cabinet Office Communications
(437) 778-4306
kristine.bunker2@ontario.ca
Kelly Blidook
Associate Professor
SN 2042
Department of Political Science, Science Building
Memorial University of Newfoundland
St. John's, NL A1B 3X9 Canada
Telephone: (709) 864-8184
Email: kblidook@mun.ca
Department of Political Science
Memorial University
St. John's, NL
A1B 3X9
Tel: 1-709-864-8186
Email: abittner@mun.ca
Dr Amanda Bittner
is a political psychologist who studies elections & voting, and is
best known for her work on the role of party leaders in elections as
well as the role of gender in voting and public opinion. She has worked
at Memorial University since 2008, and in 2017 founded the Gender &
Politics Lab, a hub for research and community engagement activities
related to gender & politics.
She has published five books and has substantial community activity
experience, a strong track record in grant-writing and grant-getting in
the academic setting, and experience with financial leadership and
management in community organizations.
She appears regularly in the media as a political commentator (in both
English and French) and has won numerous awards for her research,
academic service, and mentorship. In 2022 she was inducted as a member of the Royal Society of Canada's College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.
Publicity and Communications Manager, The St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival
Office: (709) 754-3141 Cell: (709) 689-0296
sarah@womensfilmfestival.com
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/author/sarah-smellie-1.3878238
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2025 Newfoundland and Labrador general election
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All 40 seats in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly 21 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Opinion polls | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2025 Newfoundland and Labrador general election will take place on October 14, 2025, to elect members to the 51st General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Background
Premier Hogan requested to Lieutenant Governor Joan Marie Aylward to issue the writs of election on September 15, 2025. Every party represented in the Assembly elected a new leader since the 2021 election.[3]
Former NDP leader, Alison Coffin is running as an independent candidate in both Carbonear-Trinity-Bay de Verde and Harbour Grace-Port de Grave on a platform of election reform.[4] She is the first person since Henry Renouf in the 1869 Newfoundland general election to run in more than one riding.[5][6]
Standings at dissolution
| Affiliation | Leader | House members | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 election results | At dissolution | |||
| Liberal | John Hogan | 22 | 19 | |
| Progressive Conservative | Tony Wakeham | 13 | 14 | |
| New Democratic | Jim Dinn | 2 | 1 | |
| Independent | N/A | 3 | 2 | |
| Vacant | N/A | 0 | 4 | |
Incumbents not standing for re-election
| Party | MHA | Riding | Date announced | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Perry Trimper | Lake Melville | March 24, 2025 | [8] | |
| Liberal | Siobhán Coady | St. John's West | July 7, 2025 | [9] | |
| Liberal | Steve Crocker | Carbonear-Trinity-Bay de Verde | July 14, 2025 | [10] | |
| Liberal | Scott Reid | St. George's-Humber | July 14, 2025 | [11] | |
| Liberal | John Haggie | Gander | July 14, 2025 | [10] | |
| Liberal | Gerry Byrne | Corner Brook | July 17, 2025 | [12] | |
Timeline
- March 31, 2021 – PC leader Ches Crosbie resigns and MHA David Brazil is appointed interim leader and interim Leader of the Opposition.[13][14]
- October 19, 2021 – St. John's Centre MHA Jim Dinn was named interim leader of the New Democratic Party, following the resignation of Alison Coffin.[1]
- October 25, 2021 – PC MHA Lela Evans leaves the PC caucus to sit as an independent.[15]
- March 7, 2022, Independent MHA Lela Evans joins the NDP caucus.[16]
- July 6, 2022 – A cabinet shuffle takes place, Haggie and Osborne switch portfolios.[17]
- September 12, 2022 – Independent MHA Perry Trimper joins the Liberal caucus.[18]
- March 28, 2023 – Jim Dinn is acclaimed permanent NDP leader.[2]
- June 14, 2023 – Premier Furey shuffles his cabinet.[19]
- October 13–15, 2023 – The Progressive Conservative party leadership convention is held at the Sheraton Hotel in St. John's. MHA Tony Wakeham is elected leader on the second ballot.[20]
- November 10, 2023 – Conception Bay East-Bell Island MHA David Brazil announced his resignation as MHA effective 29 December 2023.[21]
- January 22, 2024 – Cabinet Minister and Fogo Island-Cape Freels MHA Derrick Bragg dies of cancer at the age of 59.[22]
- January 28, 2024 – Conception Bay East-Bell Island by-election is moved to 30 January from its original date of 29 January due to a storm warning.[23]
- January 30, 2024 – Conception Bay East-Bell Island by-election is held. Liberal candidate Fred Hutton is elected, gaining the seat from the Progressive Conservatives.[24]
- February 29, 2024 – MHA Fred Hutton is appointed Minister of Housing and Minister responsible for the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation.[25]
- March 1, 2024 – Baie Verte-Green Bay MHA Brian Warr resigns.[26]
- April 15, 2024 – Fogo Island-Cape Freels by-election. Progressive Conservative candidate Jim McKenna is elected, gaining the seat from the Liberals.[27]
- May 27, 2024 – Baie Verte-Green Bay by-election. Progressive Conservative candidate Lin Paddock is elected, gaining the seat from the Liberals.[28]
- July 5, 2024 – Health Minister and Waterford Valley MHA Tom Osborne resigns. John Hogan is named interim Health Minister.[29]
- July 16, 2024 – Torngat Mountains MHA Lela Evans rejoins the PC Party.[30]
- July 19, 2024 – Premier Furey shuffles his cabinet. Scott Reid enters cabinet.[31]
- August 22, 2024 – Waterford Valley by-election was held.[32] Liberal Jamie Korab was elected.[33]
- January 6, 2025 – Special session of the House of Assembly to debate the Churchill Falls MOU.[34]
- February 25, 2025 – Andrew Furey announces his pending resignation as Premier, leader of the Liberal party, and as an MHA.[35]
- May 1, 2025 – Andrew Parsons resigns as MHA and Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology.[36]
- May 3, 2025 – Windsor Lake MHA John Hogan wins the 2025 Liberal leadership election.[37]
- May 3, 2025 – Steve Crocker is appointed Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology following the resignation of Andrew Parsons.[38]
- May 9, 2025 – John Hogan was officially sworn in as Premier at the Government House. His Cabinet was also sworn in as well.[39]
- June 11, 2025 – John Abbott announces that later in the summer he would step down as the MHA for St. John's East-Quidi Vidi to avoid a legal battle over the results of the 2021 election in the district.[40]
- July 3, 2025 – Former premier Andrew Furey resigns his seat of Humber-Gros Morne, Liberal government falls to minority status.[41]
- July 7, 2025 – Finance minister and deputy premier Siobhan Coady announces that she will not seek re-election.[9]
- July 14, 2025 – MHAs Steve Crocker, John Haggie, and Scott Reid all announce they will not seek re-election.[10][11]
- July 17, 2025 – Corner Brook MHA Gerry Byrne announces that he will not seek re-election.[12]
- August 1, 2025 – Jordan Brown resigns as MHA for Labrador West.[42]
- August 15, 2025 – John Abbott resigns as MHA for St. John's East-Quidi Vidi.[43]
- September 15, 2025 – Premier Hogan asks the Lieutenant Governor to dissolve the House of Assembly for a general provincial election, scheduled for October 14, 2025.[44]
Changes in MHAs/seats held
| Seat | Before | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Member | Party | Reason | Date | Member | Party | |
| Torngat Mountains | October 25, 2021 | Lela Evans | █ PC | Resignation from PC caucus[15] | █ Independent | ||
| March 7, 2022 | █ Independent | Joined the NDP caucus[16] | █ New Democratic | ||||
| July 16, 2024 | █ New Democratic | Re-joined the PC caucus[30] | █ PC | ||||
| Lake Melville | September 12, 2022 | Perry Trimper | █ Independent | Joined the Liberal caucus[18] | █ Liberal | ||
| Conception Bay East-Bell Island | December 29, 2023 | David Brazil | █ PC | Resigned from House of Assembly[21] | January 30, 2024 | Fred Hutton | █ Liberal |
| Fogo Island-Cape Freels | January 22, 2024 | Derrick Bragg | █ Liberal | Death of incumbent[22] | April 15, 2024 | Jim McKenna | █ PC |
| Baie Verte-Green Bay | March 1, 2024 | Brian Warr | █ Liberal | Resigned from House of Assembly[26] | May 27, 2024 | Lin Paddock | █ PC |
| Waterford Valley | July 5, 2024 | Tom Osborne | █ Liberal | Resigned from House of Assembly[29] | August 22, 2024 | Jamie Korab | █ Liberal |
| Burgeo-LaPoile | May 1, 2025 | Andrew Parsons | █ Liberal | Resigned from House of Assembly[36] | █ Vacant | ||
| Humber-Gros Morne | July 3, 2025 | Andrew Furey | █ Liberal | Resigned from House of Assembly[41] | █ Vacant | ||
| Labrador West | August 1, 2025 | Jordan Brown | █ New Democratic | Resigned from House of Assembly.[42] | █ Vacant | ||
| St. John's East-Quidi Vidi | August 15, 2025 | John Abbott | █ Liberal | Resigned from House of Assembly[45] | █ Vacant | ||
Campaign
Issues in the election includes the Churchill Falls memorandum of understanding, the cost-of-living, crime, healthcare, and housing. The leaders' debate will be held on October 8, with the NDP's Dinn, Liberals' Hogan, and PC's Wakeham all invited. Carolyn Stokes will be the host.[46][47]
Party slogans
| Party | Slogan |
|---|---|
| █ Liberal | "Real Momentum. Real Energy. Real Leadership."[48] |
| █ PC | "For All of Us"[48] |
| █ New Democratic | "Get a Better Deal"[49] |
Candidates by district
- Names in boldface type represent party leaders.
- † indicates that the incumbent is not seeking re-election.
St. John's
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | PC | NDP | ||||||
| Mount Scio | Sarah Stoodley[50] | Darrell Hynes[51] | Laurabel Mba[52] | Sarah Stoodley | ||||
| St. John's Centre | Gemma Hickey[53] | Ben Duggan[54] | Jim Dinn[55] | Jim Dinn | ||||
| St. John's East-Quidi Vidi | John Whelan[56] | Alex Cepovski[54] | Sheilagh O'Leary[57] | Vacant[b] | ||||
| St. John's West | Keith White[58] | Kristina Ennis[59] | Marius Normore[60] | Siobhan Coady†[9] | ||||
| Virginia Waters-Pleasantville | Bernard Davis[61] | G. Patrick Condon[62] | Raj Sharan[63] | Bernard Davis | ||||
| Waterford Valley | Jamie Korab[64] | David Thomlyn[65] | Nicole Boland[66] | Jamie Korab | ||||
| Windsor Lake | John Hogan[67] | Deanne Stapleton[68] | Marcia Porter[69] | John Hogan | ||||
St. John's suburbs
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | PC | NDP | Independent | |||||||
| Cape St. Francis | Kara Connors[70] | Joedy Wall[71] | Greg Rockwood[72] | Joedy Wall | ||||||
| Conception Bay East–Bell Island | Fred Hutton[73] | Tina Neary[74] | Henry House[75] | Fred Hutton | ||||||
| Conception Bay South | Ken McDonald[76] | Barry Petten[71] | Rhonda Watkins[69] | Barry Petten | ||||||
| Mount Pearl North | Lucy Stoyles[67] | Jim Lester[77] | Donn Sears[78] | Lucy Stoyles | ||||||
| Mount Pearl-Southlands | Sarah Furlong[70] | Bryan Robbins[54] | Brenda Walsh[78] | Paul Lane[55] | Paul Lane | |||||
| Topsail-Paradise | Dan Bobbett[79] | Paul Dinn[71] | Tyler Bourne[78] | Paul Dinn | ||||||
Avalon Peninsula
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | PC | NDP | Independent | |||||||
| Carbonear-Trinity-Bay de Verde | Danielle Doyle[80] | Riley Balsom[81] | Kathleen Burt[78] | Alison Coffin[c][4] | Steve Crocker†[10] | |||||
| Edward Thomas Cole[69] | ||||||||||
| Ferryland | Cheryl O'Brien[76] | Loyola O'Driscoll[82] | Josh Meadus[83] | Loyola O'Driscoll | ||||||
| Harbour Grace-Port de Grave | Pam Parsons[84] | Walter Yetman[68] | Darian Vincent[83] | Alison Coffin[d][4] | Pam Parsons | |||||
| Harbour Main | Don Lewis[85] | Helen Conway-Ottenheimer[82] | Dion Hynes[86] | Clem Whittle[69] | Helen Conway-Ottenheimer | |||||
| Placentia-St. Mary's | Sherry Gambin-Walsh[84] | Rhonda Power[68] | Douglas Meggison[78] | Philip Gardiner[87] | Sherry Gambin-Walsh | |||||
Eastern Newfoundland
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | PC | NDP | ||||||
| Bonavista | Heather Matthews[88] | Craig Pardy[82] | David Ellis[86] | Craig Pardy | ||||
| Burin-Grand Bank | Paul Pike[89] | Jamie Engram[90] | Tori Locke[78] | Paul Pike | ||||
| Placentia West-Bellevue | Brian Keating[58] | Jeff Dwyer[82] | Jasmine Paul[91] | Jeff Dwyer | ||||
| Terra Nova | Greg French[92] | Lloyd Parrott[82] | Melanie Adams[78] | Lloyd Parrott | ||||
Central Newfoundland
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | PC | NDP | Independent | |||||||
| Baie Verte-Green Bay | Owen Burt[93] | Lin Paddock[94] | Sarah Hillier[78] | Lin Paddock | ||||||
| Exploits | Fabian Power[95] | Pleaman Forsey[96] | Dawn Lahey[69] | Pleaman Forsey | ||||||
| Fogo Island-Cape Freels | Dale Lewis[97] | Jim McKenna[98] | Albert Murphy[78] | Garry Leyte[99] | Jim McKenna | |||||
| Fortune Bay-Cape La Hune | Elvis Loveless[50] | Ada John[100] | Eamon Carew[78] | Elvis Loveless | ||||||
| Gander | Bettina Ford[80] | Tom Healey[65] | Justin Foley[69] | John Haggie†[10] | ||||||
| Grand Falls-Windsor-Buchans | Barry Manuel[80] | Chris Tibbs[96] | Liz Noseworthy[78] | Chris Tibbs | ||||||
| Lewisporte-Twillingate | Derek Bennett[64] | Mark Butt[101] | Steven Kent[78] | Stacy Coish[102] | Derek Bennett | |||||
Western Newfoundland
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | PC | NDP | Independent | |||||||
| Burgeo-La Poile | Michael King[97] | Victoria Young[54] | Judy Vanta[78] | Vacant[e] | ||||||
| Corner Brook | Jim Parsons[103] | Charles Pender[104] | Jean Graham[78] | Gerry Byrne†[12] | ||||||
| Humber-Bay of Islands | Meghan Parsons[105] | Ethan Wheeler-Park[106] | Collin Glavac[69] | Eddie Joyce[107] | Eddie Joyce | |||||
| Humber-Gros Morne | Helen Reid[95] | Mike Goosney[108] | Rebecca Brushett[78] | Vacant[f] | ||||||
| St. Barbe-L'Anse aux Meadows | Krista Howell[109] | Andrea Barbour[110] | Beth Ryan[78] | Krista Howell | ||||||
| St. George's-Humber | Mark Lamswood[80] | Hal Cormier[111] | Jim McKeown[78] | Scott Reid†[11] | ||||||
| Stephenville-Port au Port | Jeff Young[112] | Tony Wakeham[96] | Susan Jarvis[78] | Tony Wakeham | ||||||
Labrador
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | PC | NDP | ||||||
| Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair | Lisa Dempster[73] | Nina Rumbolt-Pye[113] | Patricia Bailey[69] | Lisa Dempster | ||||
| Labrador West | Todd Seward[114] | Joseph Power[100] | Shazia Razi[115] | Vacant[g] | ||||
| Lake Melville | Shaun Maclean[85] | Keith Russell[116] | Jamie Ruby[69] | Perry Trimper†[8] | ||||
| Torngat Mountains | Tony Powell[117] | Lela Evans[96] | MK Morris[69] | Lela Evans | ||||
Opinion polls
| Polling firm | Dates conducted | Link | Liberal | PC | NDP | Others | Margin of error | Sample size | Polling method | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election campaign begins. | ||||||||||
| Narrative Research | August 7-29, 2025 | [p 1] | 59% | 31% | 9% | — | ±5.2% | 350 | Telephone | 28% |
| John Hogan is elected Liberal leader. He is sworn-in as premier on May 9. | ||||||||||
| Andrew Furey announces his resignation as premier and Liberal leader. | ||||||||||
| Narrative Research | Nov 4–19, 2024 | [p 2] | 50% | 40% | 10% | 0% | ±5.2% | 350 | Telephone | 10% |
| Narrative Research | Aug 6–16, 2024 | [p 3] | 43% | 35% | 19% | 2% | ±5.2% | 350 | Telephone | 8% |
| Narrative Research | May 7–29, 2024 | [p 4] | 38% | 41% | 19% | 2% | ±6.8% | 208 | Telephone | 3% |
| Narrative Research | Feb 7–18, 2024 | [p 5] | 43% | 33% | 23% | 1% | ±5.2% | 350 | Telephone | 10% |
| Narrative Research | Nov 2–26, 2023 | [p 6] | 44% | 38% | 16% | 3% | ±5.0% | 388 | Telephone | 6% |
| Tony Wakeham is elected leader of the PCs.[118] | ||||||||||
| Abacus Data | Sep 19–25, 2023 | [p 7] | 40% | 38% | 21% | 1% | ±4.5% | 341 | Online | 2% |
| Narrative Research | Aug 1–11, 2023 | [p 8] | 40% | 37% | 23% | 0% | ±5.2% | 350 | Telephone | 3% |
| Narrative Research | May 4–15, 2023 | [p 9] | 50% | 31% | 17% | 2% | ±5.2% | 350 | Telephone | 19% |
| Jim Dinn is acclaimed permanent NDP leader. | ||||||||||
| Narrative Research | Feb 17–21, 2023 | [p 10] | 46% | 36% | 17% | 0% | ±5.2% | 350 | Telephone | 10% |
| Narrative Research | Nov 3–27, 2022 | [p 11] | 47% | 34% | 16% | 3% | ±4.2% | 535 | Telephone | 13% |
| Narrative Research | Aug 3–23, 2022 | [p 12] | 40% | 42% | 16% | 1% | ±6.0% | 260 | Telephone | 2% |
| Angus Reid | Jun 7–13, 2022 | [p 13] | 36% | 45% | 12% | 6% | ±7.0% | 201 | Online | 9% |
| Narrative Research | May 5–24, 2022 | [p 14] | 48% | 32% | 17% | 3% | ±5.9% | 275 | Telephone | 16% |
| Angus Reid | Mar 10–15, 2022 | [p 15] | 43% | 44% | 10% | 4% | ±7.0% | 196 | Online | 1% |
| Narrative Research | Feb 8–21, 2022 | [p 16] | 49% | 32% | 15% | 3% | ±5.2% | 350 | Telephone | 17% |
| Angus Reid | Jan 7–12, 2022 | [p 17] | 37% | 44% | 15% | 4% | ±8.0% | 155 | Online | 7% |
| MQO Research | Nov 19 – Dec 5, 2021 | [p 18] | 47% | 31% | 18% | 4% | ±5.5% | 400 | Telephone | 16% |
| Narrative Research | Nov 2–23, 2021 | [p 19] | 48% | 27% | 23% | 2% | ±3.5% | 800 | Telephone | 21% |
| Alison Coffin resigns as leader of the NDP; Jim Dinn becomes interim leader. | ||||||||||
| Angus Reid | Sep 29 – Oct 3, 2021 | [p 20] | 39% | 39% | 17% | 5% | N/A | 203 | Online | Tie |
| Narrative Research | Aug 9–29, 2021 | [p 21] | 53% | 28% | 18% | 1% | ±4.9% | 400 | Telephone | 25% |
| MQO Research | Jun 12 – Jul 10, 2021 | [p 22] | 56% | 26% | 15% | 2% | ±4.9% | 400 | Telephone | 30% |
| Angus Reid | Jun 2–7, 2021 | [p 23] | 50% | 39% | 8% | 2% | ±2.0% | 153 | Online | 11% |
| Narrative Research | May 11–26, 2021 | [p 24] | 54% | 30% | 14% | 2% | ±3.5% | 800 | Telephone | 24% |
| Andrew Furey and his cabinet sworn in.[119] | ||||||||||
| Ches Crosbie resigns as leader of the PCs; David Brazil becomes interim leader.[120] | ||||||||||
| 2021 general election | Mar 25, 2021 | HTML | 48.24% | 38.80% | 8.02% | 4.93% | — | 178,632 | — | 9.44% |
| Polling firm | Dates conducted | Link | Others | Margin of error | Sample size | Polling method | Lead | |||
| Liberal | PC | NDP | ||||||||
Thursday, 11 April 2024
PC campaign manager joins Premier's Office, will earn taxpayer salary
PC campaign manager joins Premier's Office, will earn taxpayer salary
Steve Outhouse says he’ll continue party role in 'off-work time' while Higgs’s principal secretary
The campaign consultant hired by the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick for this year's election has landed a second position — a taxpayer-funded job in the office of Premier Blaine Higgs.
Steve Outhouse, whose company Just Campaigns is billing the PC Party for election-related services, is now Higgs's principal secretary.
It means Outhouse will draw a public salary at the same time he's engaged in paid partisan work.
The premier's spokesperson Nicolle Carlin said Outhouse will be paid up to $124,656. The government contract, via a second Outhouse company called Intercede Communications, will run until the election campaign begins in September.
Premier
Blaine Higgs confirmed last year that the party was hiring Steve
Outhouse as campaign manager for the coming election, which is scheduled
for Oct. 21. (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
In a telephone interview, Outhouse said the dual role is not unusual.
"There are political staff that are hired in both ministers' offices, opposition offices, premiers' offices, that are engaged in political activity in their spare time and so on, and I'll continue to do that, just like any political staffer would," he said.
Green Party Leader David Coon disputed the comparison, saying Outhouse is a "hired gun" brought to the province for the election, unlike a political staffer who does partisan work as an unpaid volunteer.
"It's extraordinary," Coon said. "They're turning the premier's office into his election campaign headquarters."
Green Party Leader David Coon says the Premier's Office is being turned into 'campaign headquarters.' (Jacques Poitras/CBC)
Just Campaigns is providing what Outhouse calls "various services for partisan campaigning" on a contract, and he says he'll continue his party role "in my off-work time" from the premier's office.
He acknowledged the two roles won't always be completely separate.
"Not everything fits into nice neat little boxes but the work that I'll be doing within in the premier's office itself will be related to the premier's agenda and governing, and my involvement in the campaign will be separate from that," he said.
Robert Gauvin, Liberal MLA for Shediac Bay-Dieppe, said Outhouse will be "mixing it up" between government and campaign roles and it's unfair that New Brunswick taxpayers are paying him for that.
"Mr. Outhouse was not brought here to do that," Gauvin said. "I think this contract should be cut and the money should be reimbursed."
Robert Gauvin, Liberal Party MLA for Shediac Bay-Dieppe, says putting
Steve Outhouse on the public payroll is not right. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
Gauvin noted there's already crossover between the campaign and the government, with the slogan "Stronger Than Ever" from a PC election bus decorated last fall, also being used for the provincial budget in March.
Higgs confirmed last year that the party was hiring Outhouse as campaign manager for the coming election, which is scheduled for Oct. 21.
Outhouse replaces Paul D'Astous, who was moved into the role of chief of staff to the premier last year.
In a statement, Higgs cited Outhouse's experience as chief of staff and as director of communications for federal Conservative cabinet ministers.
"His talent is a tremendous asset to our government," Higgs said.
Outhouse ran Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's election campaign last year and also managed two federal Conservative leadership campaigns by MP Leslyn Lewis.
Outhouse did not reveal how much the PC Party is paying him for campaign work but noted that the amounts will be public when the party files its election financing reports with Elections New Brunswick.
The Tories have adopted a more pointed, aggressive style of advertising against the opposition Liberals since Outhouse signed on last fall.
They have attacked leader Susan Holt, trying to link her to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's carbon tax and other policies.
This week a PC MLA criticized one recent PC Party post aimed at Holt.
It quoted Holt in her former role as CEO of the New Brunswick Business Council in 2014 saying it was "interesting" the Gallant Liberal government had "started a conversation" about closing some schools in the province.
PC
MLA, and former cabinet minister, Jeff Carr criticized a recent post on
social media by the PC Party, which was aimed at Liberal Leader Susan
Holt. (CBC)
PC MLA Jeff Carr pointed out in a thread on the social platform X that the PC post didn't mention that school districts must initiate closures and that student enrolment was declining at the time, forcing "all districts and governments" to look at the idea.
"To omit this piece of information for political gain (misleading the electorate) is disappointing," wrote Carr, who clashed with Higgs last year and who announced last month he will not be a candidate in this year's election.
Carr turned down an interview request from CBC News on Thursday.
Minister rejects pitch for western N.B. police force to replace RCMP
Letter says hiring, costs among challenges to proposed force
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