Voters in Newfoundland and Labrador head to the polls today to elect their next provincial government. Here are four things to keep an eye on as the results roll in.
1. Will Newfoundland and Labrador voters pass the torch?
The Liberals have been in power for a decade in Canada’s easternmost province, though their dominance has waned.
They won a decisive victory in 2015, taking 31 of 40 seats in the legislature after more than 10 years of Progressive Conservative government. But as this year’s election campaign got underway, the Liberals held 19 of 40 seats, and the Progressive Conservatives held 14.
Tory Leader Tony Wakeham’s main campaign message is that it’s time for change. He has repeatedly asked voters to consider whether their lives have been improved after 10 years of Liberal rule.
NDP Leader Jim Dinn said Monday he believes the election will be a referendum on the Liberals’ leadership.
2. Will Labradorians elect the province’s first hijabi to the legislature?
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Shazia Razi was on the town council in Wabush, in the Labrador West district, for four years before the NDP asked her to run in this year’s provincial election. Labrador West is a key district for the party, which held the seat from 2019 until August.
Razi said she wants to push for better housing and health care for people in Labrador West.
“Nothing comes easy in Labrador,” she said in an interview. “The region needs a strong voice in the House of Assembly to fight for them.”
It is believed Razi would be the first hijab-wearing Muslim woman to win a seat in the provincial legislature. She wants to inspire immigrants of all backgrounds to run for politics in Newfoundland and Labrador.
“It’s setting a standard, not just for Muslims, but also for all those kids who — in any way, shape or form — think that they can’t,” Razi said.
She is up against Liberal candidate Todd Seward, and Progressive Conservative Joseph Power.
3. Will uproar over a Quebec energy deal sway many voters?
Amid the election campaign signs dotting roadsides in St. John’s, a different kind of sign is raising eyebrows. Former premier Danny Williams has paid for signs and billboards railing against the province’s tentative partnership with Quebec’s hydro utility.
The election campaign has energized critics of the draft deal, who claim it doesn’t give Newfoundland and Labrador a fair return. Some see the election as an opportunity for the public to weigh in on the deal.
Liberal Leader John Hogan has centred the deal in his campaign, promising to see it through to final agreements. The deal’s promised financial returns will allow the province to invest in health care and education and pay off its staggering debt, Hogan has said.
Progressive Conservative Leader Tony Wakeham has vowed to have the draft deal examined by independent experts, as per a recommendation from a public inquiry held after a past energy project — which had been championed by Williams — went wrong.
4. Will many people vote in the election?
Oct. 14 will be the third time Newfoundlanders and Labradorians head to the polls this year after a federal election in April and municipal elections earlier this month.
The province’s 2021 election — upended by an outbreak of COVID-19 — saw a voter turnout of 51 per cent.
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