Newfoundland election, Nov 2015

[International Brotherhood of Bernard]

Astonishing results in Burgeo - La Poile

Liberal 3998 votes
PC 93 votes
NDP 53 votes

in %, Lib 97%, PC 2%, NDP 1%

North Korea!!

Apt given the history of the Newfie Liberals...

Do the NL Liberals historically have some sort of infatuation with communists? I think someone else here said the first Premier admired the Soviet Union. What's the deal with that?

[DC Al Fine]

Astonishing results in Burgeo - La Poile

Liberal 3998 votes
PC 93 votes
NDP 53 votes

in %, Lib 97%, PC 2%, NDP 1%

North Korea!!

Apt given the history of the Newfie Liberals...

Do the NL Liberals historically have some sort of infatuation with communists? I think someone else here said the first Premier admired the Soviet Union. What's the deal with that?

Joey Smallwood edited a pro-Bolshevik newspaper in New York in the 1920's, and the vote to join Canada was ever so slightly rigged.

[Hatman 🍁]

Surprising considering the $$$ was against confederation.

[136or142]

Higher than D'Arcy-McGee. Wow.  I suppose both the NDP and PC candidates there were paper candidates from away?

The NDP had three paper candidates in this election, but the one in that riding was not one of them.  While the former Mayor of Wabush, Ron Barron, had the 3rd highest share of the vote for the NDP in his more urban Labrador riding, two of their three paper candidates ran in rural Labrador.

I was somewhat incorrect. Up to nine NDP candidates were parachute/paper candidates (all in the rural parts of the Province), and that includes Burgeo-La Poile NDP candidate Kelly McKeown who lives in Conception Bay.  However it seems that she moved there to attend Memorial University as an adult nursing student and that she lived in Burgo-La Poile not long ago.  So, she can be considered as both a local candidate and as a parachute candidate.

Is it a particle or is it a wave?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Joey Smallwood edited a pro-Bolshevik newspaper in New York in the 1920's, and the vote to join Canada was ever so slightly rigged.

And continued to admire the Soviet system throughout his life and as Premier ran Newfies accordingly. One of the weirder episodes in Canadian history.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Given that we are discussing the 1949 referendum I will have a few questions:

1) Is there any sympathy towards independence in Newfoundland today?
2) Why were the wealthy and Catholics so opposed to confederation? Given how pre-1949 Newfoundland was like, why was the referendum so close?

[DC Al Fine]

Given that we are discussing the 1949 referendum I will have a few questions:

1) Is there any sympathy towards independence in Newfoundland today?
2) Why were the wealthy and Catholics so opposed to confederation? Given how pre-1949 Newfoundland was like, why was the referendum so close?

1) No. Newfoundland independence was always a non-starter, even in the 1940's. Anti-Confederation Newfies were split between continuing as a British dependency similar to the Cayman Islands, or trying to join up with the United States. (e.g. Former Tory leadership contender John Crosbie's father was leader of the Party for Economic Union with the United States)

2) Newfoundland's main industry was exporting cod to the United States. Canada/America at the time maintained extremely high tariffs against each other, which hurt the cod industry when Newfoundland joined. Also, the main pro-confederation leaders were Orangemen, which as all Irish people know, is exactly what Catholics like in a leader

Actually, the referendum wasn't just super close. The anti-confederates probably should have won. While the vote wasn't exactly fixed, the election wouldn't be considered "free and fair" by today's standards.

[136or142]

Cabinet Prediction
1.Premier/Intergovernmental Affairs, Dwight Ball (Rural), MHA
2.Finance, Siobhan Coady, (St. John's), M.P 2008-2011
3.Economic Development and Trade/Tourism, Small Business and Culture, Carol Anne Haley, (Rural), M.P Judy Foote Assistant
4.Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Natural Resources, Gerry Byrne (Rural), M.P 1996-2015
5.Fisheries and Aquaculture, Derrick Bragg, (Rural), Town Fire Chief
6.Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources/Environment, Tom Osborne (St. John's) MHA and former P.C Cabinet Minister
7.Transportation and Infrastructure/Government Services and Public Works, Cathy Bennett (St John's), MHA
8.Children and Family Development/Human Resources and Housing, Status of Women, Sherry Gamblin-Walsh (Avalon Peninsula)
9.Education/Advanced Education, Training and Technology, Al Hawkins  (Rural), Grand Falls-Windsor Mayor, former Education Superintendent Official and Former Software Development Company Executive Director
10.Health/Government House Leader, Steve Crocker (Avalon Peninsula), MHA
11.Municipal Affairs/Aboriginal and Labrador Affairs, Randy Edmunds (Labrador), MHA
12.Attorney General/Solicitor General/Labour, Immigration and Citizenship, Andrew Parsons (Rural), MHA (only lawyer in Liberal caucus)

Chief Government Whip, Scott Reid
Speaker, Dale Kirby

Actual cabinet
1.Premier/Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs/Intergovernmental Affairs, Dwight Ball

2.Finance and Treasury Board/Status of Women, Cathy Bennett

3.Business, Tourism, Culture and Rural Development, Research and Development Agency/Forestry and Agrifood Agency, Christopher Mitchelmore

4.Natural Resources/Office of Public Engagement/Deputy Government House Leader, Siobhan Coady

5.Fisheries and Aquaculture, Steve Crocker

6.Environment and Conservation andClimate Change and Energy Efficiency/ Labour Relations Agency/Francophone Affairs, Perry Trimper

7.Transportation and (Public) Works, Al Hawkins

8.Municipal Affairs/(Government Services)- Service NL, Fire and Emergency Services, Government Purchasing Agency, Workplace NL, Registrar General, Eddie Joyce

9.Children, Youth and Family Services/Seniors, Wellness and Social Development, NL Housing Corporation, Status of Persons with Disabilities, Sherry Gamblin-Walsh

10.Health and Community Services, John Haggie

11.Education and Early Childhood Development, Dale Kirby

12.Advanced Education and Skills, Gerry Byrne

13.Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General/Government House Leader, Andrew Parsons

[136or142]

As usual, I got many of the names right, but the positions wrong.  The only two Liberal MHAs I correctly predicted the cabinet positions of where Sherry Gamblin-Walsh and Andrew Parsons (and, as I said Parsons is the only lawyer in the Liberal caucus.)

I correctly predicted Siobhan Coady, Gerry Byrne, Cathy Bennett, Al Hawkins and Steve Crocker would make the cut but did not get their portfolios right. 

The ones who got in the cabinet I did not predict were John Haggie, Eddie Joyce, Perry Trimper, Dale Kirby and Christopher Mitchelmore.

While both of the former New Democrats in the Liberal caucus got in the cabinet, I don't believe any former Progressive Conservatives made the grade.