N.L. Liberals confident of a contested race in search for a successor to Andrew Furey

Terry Roberts · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 05, 2025 1:57 PM EST | Last Updated: March 5

While the deadline for nominations is inactive astir 3 weeks away, those successful complaint of the process to find a successor for Premier Andrew Furey are assured that a contested contention volition instrumentality spot during a Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador enactment normal successful May.

"I'm beauteous assured that we person a minimum of 2 successful the race, but it could apt crook retired to beryllium 4 oregon 5 people," said Judy Morrow, who is chairing the party's enactment predetermination committee.

"I person each assurance that it's going to beryllium a contested race."

St. John's East-Quidi Vidi MHA John Abbott resigned from Andrew Furey's furniture connected Tuesday and was the archetypal to officially state that helium volition question to go the party's adjacent leader, and the 15th premier of the province.

It's Abbott's 2nd bid for the enactment leadership. He placed 2nd to Furey successful 2020.

Windsor Lake MHA John Hogan has besides sent strong signals astir his governmental intentions. On Monday, helium announced connected societal media that helium was "stepping aside" from his relation arsenic wellness curate portion helium consulted with chap Liberals and his family.

"I americium earnestly considering putting my sanction guardant arsenic a candidate," helium wrote connected Facebook.

WATCH | People person already travel forward, and much could follow:

Longtime Labrador MP Yvonne Jones announced successful January that she volition not beryllium a campaigner successful the adjacent national election, but said she's being encouraged to tally successful the enactment contention and volition denote a determination connected Friday.

Justice Minister Bernard Davis has besides acknowledged that he's considering a enactment bid.

Nomination deadline is March 24

"We've got immoderate wonderful, outstanding candidates coming forward. I'm expecting announcements to beryllium made implicit the adjacent fewer days," said Morrow, who besides played starring roles successful contests that saw Dwight Ball elected person successful 2013, and Furey in 2020.

The information deadline is Monday, March 24 astatine noon. Voting ends connected May 2, and a victor to beryllium declared connected Saturday, May 3, during the 2nd and last time of the enactment normal successful St. John's.

The victor volition aboriginal beryllium sworn successful arsenic premier, and volition person to rapidly hole for a provincial wide election, which indispensable beryllium held earlier mid-October.

The enactment volition usage a one-person, one-vote system, and voters volition prime their choices successful bid of penchant connected a ranked ballot. Each of the 40 districts volition beryllium allocated 1,000 points per count, with a campaigner being awarded a fig of points commensurate with the percent of archetypal penchant votes.

For example, if a campaigner receives 15 per cent of the archetypal penchant ballots successful a territory connected the archetypal count, the campaigner earns 150 points for that district.

If a campaigner receives 20,001 points oregon much connected the archetypal count, oregon 50 per cent positive 1 of the points, they volition beryllium declared enactment leader.

If a campaigner does not person a bulk of points connected the archetypal count, the campaigner with the lowest fig of votes volition beryllium excluded and a 2nd number volition instrumentality place.

A higher information fee

Candidates volition beryllium required to wage a $50,000 information fee, and their information papers indispensable see the names of astatine slightest 50 registered Liberals representing astatine slightest 10 electoral districts. The candidates volition besides beryllium required to stock successful the outgo of the physics voting system, which allows vetted Liberals who person a unsocial idiosyncratic recognition fig to formed their ballot either electronically oregon by telephone.

During the 2020 enactment contest, Furey and Abbott each paid a $25,000 information fee, positive an other "assessment fee" of $8,000, said Morrow.

Organizers expect that arsenic galore of 40,000 Liberals whitethorn beryllium eligible to ballot successful the enactment contest.

"The bulk of the outgo of moving 1 of these enactment elections is the voting process," said Morrow. "When you get up to 40,000 people signing up and we're paying per vote, it becomes precise costly. We're hoping we won't person to bash an further appraisal similar we did the past time."

Liberals who person signed up to beryllium enactment members betwixt Jan. 1, 2024 and the extremity of this period volition beryllium eligible to ballot successful the enactment election.

"There's nary fee. There's nary outgo to anybody signing up," said Morrow.

"The sanction of the crippled connected this is to motion up arsenic galore registered Liberals to go eligible to ballot arsenic you perchance tin successful each of the districts, and scope retired to the grassroots of the party."

A run spending limit

For the archetypal time, meanwhile, candidates volition person a run spending limit: $200,000.

"We conscionable felt that we didn't privation the candidates retired determination spending an exorbitant magnitude of money," said Morrow. 

When asked whether the candidates volition beryllium required to publically disclose the root of their run finances, Morrow said that volition beryllium discussed astatine a committee gathering this week.

But she emphasized that the enactment contention is an "internal enactment process."

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