Exodus of N.L. cabinet ministers challenges Liberal Party momentum, prof says

Jenna Head · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 16, 2025 4:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

One by one, seasoned Liberal Party politicians are bowing retired of the run way up of Newfoundland and Labrador's upcoming autumn provincial election. 

The way of resignations started successful May 2024 erstwhile erstwhile St. John's South MHA Tom Osborne resigned from provincial authorities aft a 28-year career. 

Then, successful September, erstwhile vigor curate Andrew Parsons announced helium wouldn't beryllium moving successful the 2025 provincial predetermination aft a 14-year governmental career. 

He formally resigned successful May 2025 pursuing the alteration successful the provincial Liberal leadership. 

Parsons' resignation followed that of erstwhile premier Andrew Furey, who stepped down successful February aft serving for 4 and a fractional years. Furey has since returned to moving arsenic an orthopedic surgeon successful St. John's, but has not ruled retired a aboriginal successful politics. 

Furey's resignation triggered a Liberal enactment contention successful March, which saw Windsor-Lake MHA John Hogan go premier successful May. 

Five furniture ministers out

A ceremonial provincial predetermination indispensable instrumentality spot by October 2025. With the six-week run way getting closer, five of Hogan's furniture ministers, and 1 backbencher, person decided not to question re-election. 

Seniors Minister John Abbott was the archetypal to tender his resignation from provincial politics. Elected successful 2021 arsenic MHA for St. John's East-Quidi Vidi, Abbott attempted to go the Liberal person twice. First up against Furey, past Hogan. He chose to resign astatine the extremity of the summertime pursuing a lawsuit implicit the controverted 2021 provincial election.

Then connected July 7, Finance Minister and Deputy Premier Siobhan Coady announced that she volition not question re-election aft spending a decennary successful provincial politics, and 3 years successful national authorities betwixt 2008 and 2011. 

A week later, connected Monday, 3 furniture ministers announced that they volition besides not question re-election aft spending a decennary successful provincial politics. 

The archetypal was Industry, Energy, and Technology Minister Steve Crocker. Shortly aft came Justice and Public Safety Minister John Haggie, and past Environment and Climate Change Minister Scott Reid.

Lake Melville MHA Perry Trimper is besides moving on. He announced his determination to permission authorities successful May. 

Liberal momentum challenged

Political subject prof Alex Marland told CBC the exodus of long-time Liberal politicians successful the state is mean and healthy, arsenic it paves the mode for caller faces successful the House of Assembly.

"Politics is draining," helium said. "You conscionable request energy."

But with ridings opening up for caller competition, Marland said those recently elected faces could beryllium to a antithetic enactment and pb to a alteration successful government. 

"It's yet challenging for the premier to amusement momentum, and authorities is truthful overmuch astir momentum," Marland said. 

That doesn't mean Hogan can't triumph the upcoming provincial election, but Marland said losing large names poses a challenge. 

In a connection to CBC News, Hogan's bureau said the openings create an accidental to bring successful caller voices and ideas. 

"Over the past fewer months, galore business, municipal, and assemblage leaders person stepped up to question Liberal nominations crossed the province," the connection reads. "A fig of contested nominations shows beardown involvement successful the Liberal Party and I'm delighted to invited awesome and dedicated candidates to our team."

But there's also a signifier successful Newfoundland and Labrador. Since 1972, whenever the province's governing enactment elects its 3rd leader, they lose in the pursuing provincial election.

"I instantly deliberation of Paul Davis," Marland said. "There's a batch of factors astatine play, but the happening that is changeless is the longer you are successful government, the harder it becomes to enactment successful government."

He said that's due to the fact that the authorities develops a record, and radical privation change. Sometimes, alteration occurs erstwhile a caller person takes bureau with a caller cabinet. 

It tin besides pb to a alteration successful the governing party.

With an oculus connected the PCs, Marland said a bully strategy for the enactment would beryllium recruiting prima candidates who privation to beryllium portion of PC Leader Tony Wakeham's caucus.

Marland said prima candidates are radical with a nationalist profile, and they are often mayors.

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