Latest news with #Furey
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Newfoundland and Labrador's new premier will be revealed today. Here's what to know
Either John Hogan or John Abbott will become Newfoundland and Labrador's 15th premier, as decided by Liberal Party members — who are slated to announce the winner at a party convention in St. John's at 2:45 p.m. NT Saturday. The race for the Liberal leadership began after former premier Andrew Furey announced his resignation in February after five years in the job. Furey, a surgeon by trade, said he had done what he'd wanted to accomplish for the time being, and wished to spend more time with his family and return to the operating room. In a farewell speech to party members Friday night, he thanked his children at length for their patience while he worked away from home. "If there are times in the last five years that I wasn't there for you, please know that I carried you in my heart everywhere I went and always will," Furey said. But after leading the province through a pandemic and resulting economic turmoil, his decision came as a shock to even his closest members of cabinet. It also launched a search for candidates within caucus. In late March, the Liberal Leadership Election Special Committee announced its nomination period had closed. By then, only two candidates — MHAs John Hogan and John Abbott, who both held several portfolios within cabinet over the last few years — had officially come forward. Committee chair Judy Morrow is slated to announce who has gathered the majority of the Liberal Party's 14,000 possible votes on Saturday afternoon. Candidates both boast hefty resumés Abbott was the first candidate to announce his intentions to run, marking his second attempt at becoming premier. He previously ran against Furey in 2020, and has been the deputy minister of several provincial departments as well as CEO of Newfoundland and Labrador Housing and the executive director of the local chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association. He has since been minister of social development, housing, mental health and transportation. Hogan announced his intention to run soon after, at an event with his fellow Liberal MHAs in attendance. The 47-year-old lawyer beat out former Progressive Conservative leader Ches Crosbie in his district of Windsor Lake in 2021. Since then, he's been the House leader as well as the minister of both justice and health. Saturday's vote will be revealed at a party convention at Jag Soundhouse. The winner will automatically take over as both Liberal leader and Newfoundland and Labrador premier, but will soon have to test their mettle in an upcoming general election, which must take place before October. CBC News will be livestreaming the event beginning at 2:30 p.m. at Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador.
CBC
03-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Newfoundland and Labrador's new premier will be revealed today. Here's what to know
Social Sharing Either John Hogan or John Abbott will become Newfoundland and Labrador's 15th premier, as decided by Liberal Party members — who are slated to announce the winner at a party convention in St. John's at 2:45 p.m. NT Saturday. The race for the Liberal leadership began after former premier Andrew Furey announced his resignation in February after five years in the job. Furey, a surgeon by trade, said he had done what he'd wanted to accomplish for the time being, and wished to spend more time with his family and return to the operating room. In a farewell speech to party members Friday night, he thanked his children at length for their patience while he worked away from home. "If there are times in the last five years that I wasn't there for you, please know that I carried you in my heart everywhere I went and always will," Furey said. But after leading the province through a pandemic and resulting economic turmoil, his decision came as a shock to even his closest members of cabinet. It also launched a search for candidates within caucus. In late March, the Liberal Leadership Election Special Committee announced its nomination period had closed. By then, only two candidates — MHAs John Hogan and John Abbott, who both held several portfolios within cabinet over the last few years — had officially come forward. Committee chair Judy Morrow is slated to announce who has gathered the majority of the Liberal Party's 14,000 possible votes on Saturday afternoon. Candidates both boast hefty resumés Abbott was the first candidate to announce his intentions to run, marking his second attempt at becoming premier. He previously ran against Furey in 2020, and has been the deputy minister of several provincial departments as well as CEO of Newfoundland and Labrador Housing and the executive director of the local chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association. He has since been minister of social development, housing, mental health and transportation. Hogan announced his intention to run soon after, at an event with his fellow Liberal MHAs in attendance. The 47-year-old lawyer beat out former Progressive Conservative leader Ches Crosbie in his district of Windsor Lake in 2021. Since then, he's been the House leader as well as the minister of both justice and health. Saturday's vote will be revealed at a party convention at Jag Soundhouse. The winner will automatically take over as both Liberal leader and Newfoundland and Labrador premier, but will soon have to test their mettle in an upcoming general election, which must take place before October.
CBC
02-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
From suits to scrubs, Premier Furey looks back at his time leading N.L.
Premier Andrew Furey traded his scrubs for a suit and tie in 2020 to help lead Newfoundland and Labrador through the COVID-19 pandemic. Four and a half years later, he's decided to return to the place he started: the operating room. In an interview this week with CBC News, Furey talked about his achievements, lessons learned, and passing the torch to the person who'll be selected to fill his shoes in the Liberal leadership race. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. You became the premier in August of 2020 in the midst of a pandemic. What is your legacy? I hope my legacy is one of pace of change and transformation. When I started, we could figure out where your Uber driver was in New York, but we didn't know where all the ambulances were here in Newfoundland and Labrador. Now, there is one ambulance service for the whole province, and a central command where we know the location of all the ambulances. Virtual care is in place. Family care teams — a brand new concept. We did the rate mitigation deal. Credit rating agencies have all given us an upgrade. We've created a future fund and cut the deficit down. Our population increased. There's Churchill Falls. We're moving into the hydroelectric space and ensuring that we have a transformative deal for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, while also harnessing other green electricity with respect to hydrogen and wind potential here. Repatriating our unknown soldier was something that was incredibly spiritual for me, and I do believe for the province. Participating as the next of kin, it changed me as a person. Churchill Falls didn't change me as a person. Rate mitigation didn't change me as a person. That changed me as a person, and to be able to participate in helping heal that century-old wound for Newfoundland and Labrador will be something that I'll be proud of and hopefully helps define my tenure and my legacy. I want to talk a little bit about reflecting, and if you have any regrets during your time in the premier's office. What was your biggest challenge, or was there something that you wish you had handled differently? Hindsight is 2020, and no politician is afforded the benefit of hindsight. That's why opposition is so easy. I can think of two immediately. I could have handled the relationship with Innu [Nation] in particular differently during the rate mitigation announcement and process. That was not done with any malice or malicious intent on my part. I assure you, I apologized to them and have tried to make it right, and I think I have made the relationship right. I should have phoned the grand chief at the time, and I take responsibility for that instead of downloading them to a minister or whoever. So that was a learned lesson. I think I became better for it. The second thing is with respect to the crab protests last year. We were always willing and wanting to work with the people that are having issues. For whatever reason, it was directed at the government. Really, it's between the processors and the fishermen and the harvesters. That said, it got out of hand very quickly. That's despite my efforts to talk to some of the organizers. We have been fishing with Mr. Efford since this occurred, and we were always wanting to allow for more competition and some of the demands at the time that they requested, but had to do it in a logical and reasonable way; waiting for quotas, for example, in order to make those definitive decisions. I'm not sure what I would have done differently. But I do have regret that it escalated to the level that it did, if there was some way that I could have prevented it. WATCH | Furey talks Trump and why he's 'scary' in his second round of being president: Premier Furey says it's 'scary' that Trump is different than his first time as U.S. president 39 minutes ago Duration 3:02 Premier Andrew Furey talked U.S. President Donald Trump among a wide variety of other topics in an interview on his last days in office, ahead of a new premier being named. This is a short excerpt from that interview. Your successor, who we know is going to be named John at this point, will be chosen this weekend. What do you see as the biggest challenge for them moving forward as the next premier? I think the immediate challenge is the threat of tariffs and the uncertainty with respect to [U.S. President Donald] Trump. There is potentially a national unity issue lurking in the background. What makes Canada special is that we can have all these diverse and different views, different ideologies, but we unite as Canadians, and I hope that that doesn't bubble to the surface. Then, there's taking the MOU to definitive agreements. All the process and structure is already set up in a responsible way, with lessons learned from Muskrat and lessons learned from Churchill Falls. Subsequently, the challenge and temptation would be to spend all that money. My challenge to whoever comes next is to be prudent and responsible with it. There's enough money to pay off debt, pay into the treasury with goods and services that people need right now and the future. Speaking of the influence of down south, I noticed that once you announced your resignation, you seemed a little bit looser with your words, and you called the U.S. President Donald Trump "cracked." What was it like going to Washington and then trying to deal with the hostile administration? Everybody thinks there is a master strategy or strategist, and there isn't. Canada's premiers met with senior White House officials in what I would describe as a very cold meeting. There were none of the normal pleasantries of normal Canadian-U.S. relations. Some of the premiers went in thinking the 51st state stuff is nonsense, although I've maintained from Day 1 that I think that Trump's been serious. The officials said Trump is not messing around. They were very clear. Trump is not speaking in tongues. What he says is what he means. This president is different from Trump #1. There's one decision maker in that White House, and it's him. I do think he has an imperialistic agenda. He's an older president who may or may not see a third term, heaven forbid, but he wants a legacy. A legacy in his mind, I think, is an expansion of the territory of the United States, whether that's Panama, Greenland or Canada. We need to be on guard for that. I handle the virus that is pathological and biological. There's a different virus that the next premier has [to do deal with] that's equally threatening. The province is dealing with a large deficit that's projected at $372 million right now. The Churchill Falls deal is underway, but at this point, it's not set in stone. It's still just an MOU. What does the next premier need to do to keep the province on track financially? I think we set up a good path. When I started, we had the worst credit rating in the country. We had rate mitigation hanging over our head, which wasn't particularly built into the deficit or debt. We tackled those in a very calm and strategic manner. I said let's do what no other premier could do and bring net profit interest and Hibernia back so that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians' rates don't double. I had the benefit of the disruption of COVID. We didn't let that moment of disruption slip through our fingers. We were creative in establishing the future fund. Imagine where we would be if someone in the 2000s had established the Future Fund? Some former premiers were running $2-billion surpluses. If they just put a tiny bit aside and we would have been a much different place. Anyone could do that in easy times, but it takes courage to do it in troubled times. Now, we have it set up and it's $400 million. We're making more money on that than we're spending on the debt. If you look at the geopolitical tensions that exist around the world currently, we have access to titles. They're talking about pipelines going across six provinces. We don't need pipelines. Our oil and gas product, our fishery product, our forestry product, our critical minerals can go anywhere in the world. So the U.S. doesn't want it? We'll send it somewhere else with minimal disruption. If you look at our deficit compared to the others across the country, it's prudent and responsible. It's not the largest by any stretch, and the Churchill Falls deal will and should ultimately right the fiscal ship, combined with making sure we're saving on our non-renewable resources and future fund. You could easily do one-third debt repayment, one-third future funding, and one-third third treasury and pay down the debt fairly quickly. That was the thought if I was going to be here, and I know that was the thought in the current two ministers who were running. I hope they continue with that vision. What's next for you? Well, I'm going back to the operating room, and I'm going back to serving the people of the province in a different capacity, but who knows after that? We'll see where life's adventure takes me. I've always been interested in personal and professional growth, whether that's in the operating room or outside with Team Broken Earth and creating national charities like a Dollar a Day [Foundation] or in business, frankly. So I don't think my future adventure will be exclusively limited to the operating room. Do you see any future at all in politics? Do you think you'd come back here? We'll, we'll see. I mean, we're exiting now for family reasons, but family circumstances change as children grow up. And there's always been a strong call to serve the public in my family and in me. If that opportunity arises in the future, it's certainly one that I'd be interested in entertaining.
Hamilton Spectator
24-04-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador sign agreement to knock down trade barriers
ST. JOHN'S - New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador are the latest provinces to pledge to work together and knock down trade barriers as Canada faces economic threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. The country's two Liberal premiers signed a commitment in St. John's, N.L., Thursday, saying their goal is to find ways to allow workers and goods certified in one province to be given the same clearance in the other. 'This is a time when the U.S. is trying to divide us, and so Canada is coming together like never before,' New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt told reporters. 'If it's good enough for Newfoundland, it's good enough for New Brunswick, and you're not going to have to get re-inspected or re-labeled or repackaged in order for goods to move between our provinces.' Trump's global trade war and calls to annex Canada have provinces scrambling to reroute exports away from the United States and build local markets instead. The president slapped Canada with economywide tariffs last month after declaring a 'national emergency' under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act linked to the flow of people and fentanyl across the United States' northern border. He partially paused the levies a few days later for imports compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, called CUSMA. As a way to compensate for restricted access to the U.S. market, several jurisdictions, including Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Ontario, have entered into agreements to encourage more interprovincial flow of goods and workers. Andrew Furey, Newfoundland and Labrador's premier, said that Thursday's agreement will allow officials in both provinces to start discussing changes 'where they make sense.' Rules requiring Newfoundland and Labrador seafood processing plants to buy certain amounts of locally caught fish, for example, are not up for discussion, he said. 'There are 'no-fly zones' on both sides,' he told reporters. Furey said he was willing to discuss similar agreements with other provinces. Holt, for her part, said she was particularly eager to strike an interprovincial trade deal with Quebec Premier François Legault. When asked if the agreement would have come together without Trump's threats, Furey said the provinces were already working together. Thursday's agreement builds on a previous alliance that allows doctors to work anywhere in Atlantic Canada without needing licences for each province, he added. 'I hesitate to show any gratitude to President Trump for anything,' he quipped. Newfoundland and Labrador is home to about 540,000 people; New Brunswick's population stands at roughly 775,000 people. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2025.
CBC
17-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
MHAs push federal government to clean up grounded cargo vessel, as pollution concern grows
Two months after a cargo shop ran aground on Newfoundland's west coast, politicians are voicing fears of environmental damage and a lack of action, as tar balls are washing up on nearby beaches. On Wednesday in the House of Assembly, Independent MHA for Humber-Bay of Islands Eddie Joyce pressed outgoing Premier Andrew Furey on what is being done to avoid environmental disaster over of the grounded MSC Baltic III, located near Lark Harbour. Joyce says the community and fish harvesters are concerned about a potential oil spill. "The process is very slow and depending on weather conditions," said Joyce. "I understand that this is a federal coast guard issue, but delay would potentially cause a major oil spill and a catastrophe." Furey acknowledged search and rescue efforts, the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union and the community for navigating the crisis and ensuring no loss of life. "There does represent a continued environmental threat," said Furey. He says he's written to the Canadian Coast Guard and the federal government to "ensure that they are taking this with this level of urgency and acuity that is required to protect that crucial fishing ground for people in that district." Tar balls rolling in On April 14, the coast guard announced tar balls the size of tennis balls have been appearing on the shoreline near the grounded vessel, creating a greater sense of urgency to remove fuel from the MSC Baltic III. Tar balls are globs of oil that form on the ocean surface and float to shore. Labrador Affairs Minister Lisa Dempster wrote a letter to federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson about the ongoing threat the vessel posed to the region. "I share the concerns of local residents about the impacts these pollutants can have on marine life and fishing grounds," Dempster wrote, urging Thompson to ensure all possible measures are being taken to speed up cleaning efforts to prevent damage to the environment. However, accessing the area around the ship is difficult, and Lark Harbour Mayor Wade Park has requested a nearby ATV road be fixed up to allow easier access. Lark Harbour town clerk Nicola Parker wrote in a letter that the ship's owner, Mediterranean Shipping Company, won't commit to helping build the road. Joyce believes the decision was made due to high costs. "The company is looking at their bottom line, their cheapest option, not the environmental concerns and the possible disaster," said Joyce in the House of Assembly. CBC News has asked Mediterranean Shipping Company for an interview. Headquartered in Switzerland, the company is the largest shipping line in the world and has approximately 900 vessels. Forbes ranks the company's owner, Italian billionaire Gianluigi Aponte, as the 42nd-richest person in the world. Growing concern Lark Harbour resident Melanie Joyce says the presence of tar balls in the area is alarming, and she has heard of signs of damage on the vessel. "It's only a matter of time before it starts leaking," she said, adding that residents and harvesters are getting frustrated about the lack of action to prevent the spread of pollution. She says a new road is essential, as it would allow them to offload fuel from land. "Government needs to step in and make this happen" she said, adding MSC should help, too. "They have to take responsibility of this ship before something major happens." On April 14, FFAW president Dwan Street told CBC Radio's The Broadcast how crab and lobster harvesters are worried about the area. "We've had some reports of seeing sheen on the water," she said. "[And] with the volume of fuel aboard the vessel, every day that vessel is still there, it's becoming more and more compromised." According to Street, harvesters have noticed problems with the vessel's structural stability. "We know the risk of environmental disaster there. It doesn't really take much for a significant fuel spill to occur, and then we have some really serious problems," she said. Harvesters are also dealing with some space issues with workers taking up space on the wharfs, she says. "Of course, we definitely understand and appreciate that the worst got to get done. But the timing is not ideal," said Street.
