Politics of Newfoundland and Labrador
Encyclopedia
The Canadian
province
of Newfoundland and Labrador
is governed by a unicameral legislature
, the House of Assembly
, which operates under the Westminster model
of government
. The executive
function of government is formed by the Lieutenant Governor
(currently John Crosbie), the premier
(head of government, and normally the leader of the largest party in the legislature) and his or her cabinet
. The politics of Newfoundland and Labrador is defined by a long history, liberal democratic political institutions and a unique political culture.
Newfoundland and Labrador was first inhabited by the Beothuk
and the Mi'kmaq. It has the first known European settlement in the Americas
at L'Anse aux Meadows
, built by the Vikings circa 1000 A.D. The island of Newfoundland and the coast of Labrador
has been colonized or settled by a number of European nations from England to France
.
The emergence of a common law
system and political institutions was slow. Law and order was initially the responsibility of fishing captains
and admirals and military governors
in the 17th and 18th centuries. With permanent settlement however, this system was eventually replaced by civil officials and in 1832 representative government. This meant that a colonial assembly would share power with an appointed Legislative Council. In 1854, Newfoundland was granted responsible government
and had Dominion status.
The Dominion of Newfoundland
was a highly polarized
society, marked by distinct cleavages between Roman Catholics and Protestants, Liberals
and Conservatives
, descendants of Irish
and West Country
English, rich merchants and poor fishermen and tradesmen, and rural Newfoundland versus St. John's
(or alternatively the Avalon Peninsula
against the rest of the Dominion's districts). This often manifested itself in hotly contested and even violent elections. Various reforms in the 1860s and 1870s (during which Newfoundland rejected confederation
with Canada) quelled the often hostile nature of this polarization.
With exceptions throughout its Dominion history, class, religion and political parties tended to align such that Irish Catholics tended to support the Liberal Party and English Protestants tended to support the Conservative Party.
Newfoundland and Labrador's present-day boundaries were finalized as a result of the British Privy Council's decision in the Labrador Boundary Dispute of 1927 to cede much of inland Labrador to the Dominion of Newfoundland rather than to the Canadian province of Quebec
.
As a result of the Great Depression
, Newfoundland's economy deteriorated. This resulted in a famous episode in 1932 when a large riot erupted at the Colonial Building
and then Prime Minister Richard Squires
narrowly escaped. The Dominion assembly approved the recommendations of the Amulree Commission
the following year and voted itself out of existence in order to be replaced by an appointed Commission of Government
. This Commission was effectively an appointed council with a British Governor and six commissioners from both Britain and Newfoundland. The Commission oversaw slow growth during the beginning of its reign, but Newfoundland began to thrive during World War II
.
It was shortly after the Second World War that a Newfoundland National Convention
was created in order to deliberate the constitutional future of Newfoundland. Two referendums
were initiated in the year 1948. In the first, Newfoundlanders were asked to vote on whether to join Canada as a province, return to an independent dominion with responsible government, or continue with an appointed Commission. In the second referendum, Newfoundlanders were asked to choose between responsible government and confederation with Canada. The movement for responsible government tended to be weaker, less organized in rural areas, and had some divisions stemming from many of its members supporting a special economic union
with the United States
. Newfoundland's voters narrowly voted in favour of confederation and in 1949 Newfoundland joined Canada as its tenth province.
The second referendum was a very divisive one and still to this day is a source of contention among Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. During the referendum, Joey Smallwood
campaigned for the Confederate Association
and Peter Cashin campaigned for the Responsible Government League
(RGL). The confederate cause drew most of its support from Protestants, poor fisherman and rural Newfoundlanders particularly those from outside the Avalon Peninsula. Likewise, the RGL depended on the support of Catholics and voters from the Avalon Peninsula.
Religion served as a very important determinant in a voter's decision. The Roman Catholic establishment, centered in St. John's, feared a loss of power and the possible elimination of its role in denominational education after confederation. Confederation was seen as a plot to join loyalist, predominantly English Canada (conversely RGL supporters feared joining "French Canada").
This trend was not universal since, for example, Catholics from western Newfoundland tended to vote for confederation rather than against it. But it did bring about a crack in the Liberal/Catholic and Conservative/Protestant alignment of Newfoundland's voters. After confederation, the RGL elected to form the Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador
, while Smallwood, Newfoundland's first Premier after confederation was a Liberal
.
Finally economic issues were quite salient in the referendum on confederation. The confederate cause received much of its support from the poor and destitute rural Protestant masses, won over to the confederate side by promises of a child allowance
("baby bonus"), better health care, full employment, higher incomes and other social reforms. These were measures to which Newfoundland migrants to Canada and the United States were already accustomed, but could not be as successfully promised by the Avalon Peninsula-based, affluent leaders of the RGL.
style of leadership and initiatives to modernize
the economy. For example, in the 1950s the Smallwood government began a controversial resettlement
program to relocate Newfoundlanders and Labradorians from hundreds of small, rural settlements and communities to larger urban areas. He also personally encouraged and subsidized foreign industrialists to invest in Newfoundland, often with little benefit. Smallwood for example is credited with bungling a deal on the Churchill Falls
hydro-electric development in Labrador and creating a situation where the province of Quebec reaps most of the benefits.
Additionally, Smallwood maintained firm control over dissent both within and outside his party. He frequently accused a local newspaper, The Telegram
, of libel and threatened legal action. When John Crosbie
challenged him for the leadership of the provincial Liberal Party in 1969 Smallwood forced delegates to sign affidavit
s opposing Crosbie's leadership bid. He famously told then student union leader Rex Murphy
not to return to Newfoundland when Murphy, who was in Quebec at the time, called Smallwood's announcement of a free tuition policy a "sham". As a result of Smallwood's tight control over the party and the government, a younger generation of Liberal Party activists such as John Crosbie who lost the 1969 leadership bid defected to the Progressive Conservative Party which wrested control from Smallwood in 1972 under the tutelage of Frank Moores
.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland remained in power from 1972 to 1989, first under the leadership of Frank Moores then from 1979 to 1989 under Brian Peckford
. Peckford's agenda was characterized by battles with the federal government under Primer Ministers Pierre Trudeau
and then Brian Mulroney
. Peckford's later career became mired in a subsidized farming scandal, he retired from politics in 1989 and was succeeded by Tom Rideout
. A month after becoming Premier Rideout's Progressive Conservative Party was defeated in the 1989 election by the Liberal Party under Clyde Wells
, though the Tory's won a higher percentage of votes the Liberals won a majority of the seats in the House of Assembly. Wells' administration oversaw a tumultuous time in Newfoundland's recent history. Wells was involved in some confrontation with the federal government and the other provinces over the issue of the Meech Lake Accord
which provided for distinct society
status for the province of Quebec. He was also the premier when the federal government brought in a moratorium on year round cod fishing, a pivotal moment in Newfoundland and Labrador's recent history, ever since which outmigration and depopulation have been a perpetual problem. Furthermore, Wells ushered in a period of economic liberalization as he privatized government services.
which is located in the capital city of St. John's. The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly is unique in the world as it is the only parliament modelled along the Westminster system in which the government sits to the left of the speaker rather than the right. The legislature has 48 seats, each seat representing one geographical district in the province.
Newfoundland and Labrador's 48 electoral districts are competed for in first-past-the-post
elections. Elections must be held every four years in October under a fixed-date elections law brought in by the current Progressive Conservative government.
The chart on the right provides a summary of results for the province's general elections, with the most recent elections on the right. It shows that politics in Newfoundland and Labrador have been dominated by two parties: the Liberal Party (red) and the Progressive Conservative Party (blue). The Liberal party have won ten out of the seventeen elections held.
. Those without representation are the Labrador Party
, and the Newfoundland and Labrador First Party
.
Newfoundland and Labrador has what can be described as a "two-and-a-half" party system
, with two parties capable of forming government (Liberals and Progressive Conservatives) and one small party that does not (the New Democratic Party). The two main parties share very few ideological
differences and presently there exist very few divides along class or religious backgrounds any more. The Progressive Conservative Party traditionally supported less government intervention in the economy, was a more welcome home for socially conservative attitudes, and has a significant nationalist streak perhaps as a result of its predecessor in the RGL. The Liberal Party has traditionally been seen as being on the centre-left of the political spectrum. However, with the possible exception of contemporary Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador shares with the other Atlantic provinces a largely personality driven party system where both parties tend to hug the centre. Furthermore, the province's Progressive Conservatives tend to be of the "Red Tory
" variety, and the Liberal Party particularly under Roger Grimes
has shown itself to also have something of a nationalist streak, although the party is generally seen as the more favorable to Canadian federalism in comparison to its historically more nationalist counterparts in the Progressive Conservative Party.
Third parties have traditionally done poorly in Newfoundland and Labrador. The left-wing, populist
Fisherman's Protective Union (FPU) under William Coaker
during the 1920s and 1930s achieved a break through in politics. However, the party never formed government and later disintegrated. The federal Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (or CCF, predecessor to the New Democratic Party) made overtures to Joey Smallwood (who had a history of union organizing and socialist
activities) during the referendums of 1948 but failed to shore up any mass support in the province. Today, support for the small provincial New Democratic Party appears to be contained in Labrador City/Wabush and the eastern and downtown core of St. John's.
Under Premier Danny Williams, any traditional notions of a left-right spectrum in Newfoundland and Labrador politics appear to be deteriorating. The Progressive Conservative Party has benefited from Williams' personal popularity, and the ideological orientation of the party system, it has been argued, has given way to a new one based on leadership personality and Newfoundland nationalism.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
of Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
is governed by a unicameral legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
, the House of Assembly
Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly is one of two components of the General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, the other being the Lieutenant-Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Newfoundland and Labrador General Assembly meets in the Confederation Building at St...
, which operates under the Westminster model
Westminster System
The Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
of government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
. The executive
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
function of government is formed by the Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor (Canada)
In Canada, a lieutenant governor is the viceregal representative in a provincial jurisdiction of the Canadian monarch and head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, who resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United Kingdom...
(currently John Crosbie), the premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
(head of government, and normally the leader of the largest party in the legislature) and his or her cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
. The politics of Newfoundland and Labrador is defined by a long history, liberal democratic political institutions and a unique political culture.
Pre-Confederation History
Beothuk
The Beothuk were one of the aboriginal peoples in Canada. They lived on the island of Newfoundland at the time of European contact in the 15th and 16th centuries...
and the Mi'kmaq. It has the first known European settlement in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
at L'Anse aux Meadows
L'Anse aux Meadows
L'Anse aux Meadows is an archaeological site on the northernmost tip of the island of Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Discovered in 1960, it is the only known site of a Norse or Viking village in Canada, and in North America outside of Greenland...
, built by the Vikings circa 1000 A.D. The island of Newfoundland and the coast of Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
has been colonized or settled by a number of European nations from England to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
The emergence of a common law
Common law
Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
system and political institutions was slow. Law and order was initially the responsibility of fishing captains
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
and admirals and military governors
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
in the 17th and 18th centuries. With permanent settlement however, this system was eventually replaced by civil officials and in 1832 representative government. This meant that a colonial assembly would share power with an appointed Legislative Council. In 1854, Newfoundland was granted responsible government
Responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
and had Dominion status.
The Dominion of Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
was a highly polarized
Polarization (politics)
In politics, polarization is the process by which the public opinion divides and goes to the extremes. It can also refer to when the extreme factions of a political party gain dominance in a party. In either case moderate voices often lose power and influence as a consequence.-Definitions of...
society, marked by distinct cleavages between Roman Catholics and Protestants, Liberals
Liberal parties in Newfoundland (pre-Confederation)
For the modern Liberal Party see Liberal Party of Newfoundland and LabradorSeveral earlier groupings functioned in the Dominion of Newfoundland under the name Liberal Party of Newfoundland from the granting of responsible government to the island in the 1850s until its suspension in 1934 when the...
and Conservatives
Conservative parties in Newfoundland (pre-Confederation)
For the modern Conservative Party see Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and LabradorThe Conservative Party of Newfoundland was a political party in the Dominion of Newfoundland prior to confederation with Canada in 1949....
, descendants of Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
and West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
English, rich merchants and poor fishermen and tradesmen, and rural Newfoundland versus St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
(or alternatively the Avalon Peninsula
Avalon Peninsula
The Avalon Peninsula is a large peninsula that makes up the southeast portion of the island of Newfoundland.The peninsula is home to 257,223 people, which is approximately 51% of Newfoundland's population in 2009, and is the location of the provincial capital, St. John's. It is connected to the...
against the rest of the Dominion's districts). This often manifested itself in hotly contested and even violent elections. Various reforms in the 1860s and 1870s (during which Newfoundland rejected confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
with Canada) quelled the often hostile nature of this polarization.
With exceptions throughout its Dominion history, class, religion and political parties tended to align such that Irish Catholics tended to support the Liberal Party and English Protestants tended to support the Conservative Party.
Newfoundland and Labrador's present-day boundaries were finalized as a result of the British Privy Council's decision in the Labrador Boundary Dispute of 1927 to cede much of inland Labrador to the Dominion of Newfoundland rather than to the Canadian province of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
.
As a result of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, Newfoundland's economy deteriorated. This resulted in a famous episode in 1932 when a large riot erupted at the Colonial Building
Colonial Building
Colonial Building was the home of the Newfoundland government and the House of Assembly from January 28, 1850 to July 28, 1959. In 1974 it was declared a Provincial Historic Site....
and then Prime Minister Richard Squires
Richard Squires
Sir Richard Anderson Squires KCMG was the Prime Minister of Newfoundland from 1919 to 1923 and from 1928 to 1932.-Early career:...
narrowly escaped. The Dominion assembly approved the recommendations of the Amulree Commission
Newfoundland Royal Commission
The Newfoundland Royal Commission or Amulree Commission was a royal commission established on February 17, 1933 by the Government of the United Kingdom "to examine into the future of Newfoundland and in particular to report on the financial situation and prospects therein."In November 1932, the...
the following year and voted itself out of existence in order to be replaced by an appointed Commission of Government
Commission of Government
The Commission of Government was a non-elected body that governed Newfoundland from 1934 to 1949...
. This Commission was effectively an appointed council with a British Governor and six commissioners from both Britain and Newfoundland. The Commission oversaw slow growth during the beginning of its reign, but Newfoundland began to thrive during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The 1948 Referendums
Newfoundland National Convention
The Newfoundland National Convention of 1946 was a forum established to decide the constitutional future of Newfoundland-Nominations:On 11 December 1945 the Government of Britain announced that there would be an election to a National Convention, which would debate constitutional options and make a...
was created in order to deliberate the constitutional future of Newfoundland. Two referendums
Newfoundland referendums, 1948
The Newfoundland Referendums of 1948 were a series of two referendums to decide the political future of the Dominion of Newfoundland. Before the referendums, Newfoundland was in debt and went through several delegations to determine whether the country would join Canada, remain under British rule...
were initiated in the year 1948. In the first, Newfoundlanders were asked to vote on whether to join Canada as a province, return to an independent dominion with responsible government, or continue with an appointed Commission. In the second referendum, Newfoundlanders were asked to choose between responsible government and confederation with Canada. The movement for responsible government tended to be weaker, less organized in rural areas, and had some divisions stemming from many of its members supporting a special economic union
Economic Union Party
The Economic Union Party was a political party formed in the Dominion of Newfoundland on 20 March 1948, during the first referendum campaign on the future of the country. The British-appointed Commission of Government had administered the country since the financial collapse of 1934...
with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Newfoundland's voters narrowly voted in favour of confederation and in 1949 Newfoundland joined Canada as its tenth province.
The second referendum was a very divisive one and still to this day is a source of contention among Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. During the referendum, Joey Smallwood
Joey Smallwood
Joseph Roberts "Joey" Smallwood, PC, CC was the main force that brought Newfoundland into the Canadian confederation, and became the first Premier of Newfoundland . As premier, he vigorously promoted economic development, championed the welfare state, and emphasized modernization of education and...
campaigned for the Confederate Association
Confederate Association
The Confederate Association was a political party formed and led by Joey Smallwood and Gordon Bradley to advocate that the Dominion of Newfoundland join Canadian Confederation. The party was formed on February 21, 1948 prior to the launch of the 1948 Newfoundland referendums on Confederation...
and Peter Cashin campaigned for the Responsible Government League
Responsible Government League
The Responsible Government League was a political movement in the Dominion of Newfoundland.The Responsible Government League of Newfoundland, led by Peter Cashin, was formed in February 1947 by anti-Confederation delegates to the Newfoundland National Convention on the future of the colony...
(RGL). The confederate cause drew most of its support from Protestants, poor fisherman and rural Newfoundlanders particularly those from outside the Avalon Peninsula. Likewise, the RGL depended on the support of Catholics and voters from the Avalon Peninsula.
Religion served as a very important determinant in a voter's decision. The Roman Catholic establishment, centered in St. John's, feared a loss of power and the possible elimination of its role in denominational education after confederation. Confederation was seen as a plot to join loyalist, predominantly English Canada (conversely RGL supporters feared joining "French Canada").
This trend was not universal since, for example, Catholics from western Newfoundland tended to vote for confederation rather than against it. But it did bring about a crack in the Liberal/Catholic and Conservative/Protestant alignment of Newfoundland's voters. After confederation, the RGL elected to form the Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador
Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador
For pre-1949 Conservative parties see Conservative parties in Newfoundland The Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador is a centre-right provincial political party in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Originally founded in 1949 the party has formed the Government of...
, while Smallwood, Newfoundland's first Premier after confederation was a Liberal
Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador
The Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador is a political party in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada and the provincial wing of the Liberal Party of Canada. It is the Official Opposition and currently holds six seats in the provincial legislature.-Origins:The party originated in...
.
Finally economic issues were quite salient in the referendum on confederation. The confederate cause received much of its support from the poor and destitute rural Protestant masses, won over to the confederate side by promises of a child allowance
Child benefit
Child benefit is a social security payment disbursed to the parents or guardians of children. Child benefit is means-tested in some countries.-Australia:...
("baby bonus"), better health care, full employment, higher incomes and other social reforms. These were measures to which Newfoundland migrants to Canada and the United States were already accustomed, but could not be as successfully promised by the Avalon Peninsula-based, affluent leaders of the RGL.
Post-Confederation History
After confederation, Liberal Premier Joey Smallwood was in power for over 23 years. His reign was characterized by an autocraticAutocracy
An autocracy is a form of government in which one person is the supreme power within the state. It is derived from the Greek : and , and may be translated as "one who rules by himself". It is distinct from oligarchy and democracy...
style of leadership and initiatives to modernize
Modernization
In the social sciences, modernization or modernisation refers to a model of an evolutionary transition from a 'pre-modern' or 'traditional' to a 'modern' society. The teleology of modernization is described in social evolutionism theories, existing as a template that has been generally followed by...
the economy. For example, in the 1950s the Smallwood government began a controversial resettlement
Resettlement (Newfoundland)
Resettlement in Newfoundland and Labrador terms was an organized approach to centralize the population into growth areas. Three attempts of resettlement were thrust upon outport residents and whole communities between 1954 and 1975 which resulted in the abandonment of 300 communities and nearly...
program to relocate Newfoundlanders and Labradorians from hundreds of small, rural settlements and communities to larger urban areas. He also personally encouraged and subsidized foreign industrialists to invest in Newfoundland, often with little benefit. Smallwood for example is credited with bungling a deal on the Churchill Falls
Churchill Falls
Churchill Falls are waterfalls named after former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. They are high, located on the Churchill River in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada....
hydro-electric development in Labrador and creating a situation where the province of Quebec reaps most of the benefits.
Additionally, Smallwood maintained firm control over dissent both within and outside his party. He frequently accused a local newspaper, The Telegram
The Telegram
The Telegram is a daily newspaper published in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.-History:The Evening Telegram was first published on April 3, 1879 by William James Herder. It adopted its current name in 1998, although it was also briefly published under this name in 1881...
, of libel and threatened legal action. When John Crosbie
John Crosbie
John Carnell Crosbie, PC, OC, ONL, QC is a retired provincial and federal politician and the 12th Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada...
challenged him for the leadership of the provincial Liberal Party in 1969 Smallwood forced delegates to sign affidavit
Affidavit
An affidavit is a written sworn statement of fact voluntarily made by an affiant or deponent under an oath or affirmation administered by a person authorized to do so by law. Such statement is witnessed as to the authenticity of the affiant's signature by a taker of oaths, such as a notary public...
s opposing Crosbie's leadership bid. He famously told then student union leader Rex Murphy
Rex Murphy
Rex Murphy is a Canadian commentator and author, primarily on Canadian political and social matters.Murphy was born in Carbonear, Newfoundland, 105 kilometres west of St. John's and is the second of five children of Harry and Marie Murphy...
not to return to Newfoundland when Murphy, who was in Quebec at the time, called Smallwood's announcement of a free tuition policy a "sham". As a result of Smallwood's tight control over the party and the government, a younger generation of Liberal Party activists such as John Crosbie who lost the 1969 leadership bid defected to the Progressive Conservative Party which wrested control from Smallwood in 1972 under the tutelage of Frank Moores
Frank Moores
Frank Duff Moores served as the 2nd Premier of Newfoundland. He served as leader of the Progressive Conservatives from 1972 until his retirement in 1979.-Early life:...
.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland remained in power from 1972 to 1989, first under the leadership of Frank Moores then from 1979 to 1989 under Brian Peckford
Brian Peckford
Alfred Brian Peckford, PC served as the 3rd Premier of Newfoundland. He served as leader of the Progressive Conservatives from 1979 until his retirement in 1989....
. Peckford's agenda was characterized by battles with the federal government under Primer Ministers Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
and then Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
. Peckford's later career became mired in a subsidized farming scandal, he retired from politics in 1989 and was succeeded by Tom Rideout
Thomas Rideout
Thomas Gerald Rideout served as the 4th Premier of Newfoundland.Born in Fleur de Lys, Newfoundland, Rideout was first elected to the provincial House of Assembly in the 1975 general election as a Liberal but left the party in 1980 to join the Progressive Conservative government of Premier Brian...
. A month after becoming Premier Rideout's Progressive Conservative Party was defeated in the 1989 election by the Liberal Party under Clyde Wells
Clyde Wells
Clyde Kirby Wells, QC was the fifth Premier of Newfoundland and was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador from 1999 to March 2009...
, though the Tory's won a higher percentage of votes the Liberals won a majority of the seats in the House of Assembly. Wells' administration oversaw a tumultuous time in Newfoundland's recent history. Wells was involved in some confrontation with the federal government and the other provinces over the issue of the Meech Lake Accord
Meech Lake Accord
The Meech Lake Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and ten provincial premiers. It was intended to persuade the government of the Province of Quebec to endorse the 1982 Canadian Constitution and increase...
which provided for distinct society
Distinct society
Distinct society is a political term especially used during constitutional debate in Canada, in the second half of the 1980s and in the early 1990s, and present in the two failed constitutional amendments, the Meech Lake Accord and the Charlottetown Accord...
status for the province of Quebec. He was also the premier when the federal government brought in a moratorium on year round cod fishing, a pivotal moment in Newfoundland and Labrador's recent history, ever since which outmigration and depopulation have been a perpetual problem. Furthermore, Wells ushered in a period of economic liberalization as he privatized government services.
The Legislature
The House of Assembly is the unicameral provincial legislature. It is situated in the Confederation BuildingConfederation Building (Newfoundland and Labrador)
The Confederation Building is located on Confederation Hill overlooking the Newfoundland & Labrador's capital city St. John's, and serves as the home of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly. The brick and concrete clad building has 11 storeys and is 64 metres tall, it was...
which is located in the capital city of St. John's. The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly is unique in the world as it is the only parliament modelled along the Westminster system in which the government sits to the left of the speaker rather than the right. The legislature has 48 seats, each seat representing one geographical district in the province.
Elections
Plurality voting system
The plurality voting system is a single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member constituencies...
elections. Elections must be held every four years in October under a fixed-date elections law brought in by the current Progressive Conservative government.
The chart on the right provides a summary of results for the province's general elections, with the most recent elections on the right. It shows that politics in Newfoundland and Labrador have been dominated by two parties: the Liberal Party (red) and the Progressive Conservative Party (blue). The Liberal party have won ten out of the seventeen elections held.
Parties and the Party System
Elections Newfoundland and Labrador officially recognizes six political parties. Those with representation in the provincial legislature are the Progressive Conservatives, the Liberals, and the New Democratic PartyNew Democratic Party of Newfoundland and Labrador
The Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party is a social-democratic provincial political party in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The party is the successor to the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and the Newfoundland Democratic Party...
. Those without representation are the Labrador Party
Labrador Party
The Labrador Party was a political party in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The party was founded in 1969, and it won its first seat in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly in 1971. The newly elected Labrador Party Member of the House of Assembly soon defected, and...
, and the Newfoundland and Labrador First Party
Newfoundland and Labrador First Party
The Newfoundland and Labrador First Party was a Canadian political party registered at both the federal and provincial levels of government in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.-Election results:-Federal results:...
.
Newfoundland and Labrador has what can be described as a "two-and-a-half" party system
Party system
A party system is a concept in comparative political science concerning the system of government by political parties in a democratic country. The idea is that political parties have basic similarities: they control the government, have a stable base of mass popular support, and create internal...
, with two parties capable of forming government (Liberals and Progressive Conservatives) and one small party that does not (the New Democratic Party). The two main parties share very few ideological
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
differences and presently there exist very few divides along class or religious backgrounds any more. The Progressive Conservative Party traditionally supported less government intervention in the economy, was a more welcome home for socially conservative attitudes, and has a significant nationalist streak perhaps as a result of its predecessor in the RGL. The Liberal Party has traditionally been seen as being on the centre-left of the political spectrum. However, with the possible exception of contemporary Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador shares with the other Atlantic provinces a largely personality driven party system where both parties tend to hug the centre. Furthermore, the province's Progressive Conservatives tend to be of the "Red Tory
Red Tory
A red Tory is an adherent of a particular political philosophy, tradition, and disposition in Canada somewhat similar to the High Tory tradition in the United Kingdom; it is contrasted with "blue Tory". In Canada, the phenomenon of "red toryism" has fundamentally, if not exclusively, been found in...
" variety, and the Liberal Party particularly under Roger Grimes
Roger Grimes
Roger D. Grimes is a Canadian politician from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Grimes was born and raised in the central Newfoundland town of Grand Falls-Windsor....
has shown itself to also have something of a nationalist streak, although the party is generally seen as the more favorable to Canadian federalism in comparison to its historically more nationalist counterparts in the Progressive Conservative Party.
Third parties have traditionally done poorly in Newfoundland and Labrador. The left-wing, populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
Fisherman's Protective Union (FPU) under William Coaker
William Coaker
Sir William Ford Coaker was a Newfoundland union leader and politician and founder of the Fisherman's Protective Union and the Fishermen's Union Trading Co....
during the 1920s and 1930s achieved a break through in politics. However, the party never formed government and later disintegrated. The federal Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (or CCF, predecessor to the New Democratic Party) made overtures to Joey Smallwood (who had a history of union organizing and socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
activities) during the referendums of 1948 but failed to shore up any mass support in the province. Today, support for the small provincial New Democratic Party appears to be contained in Labrador City/Wabush and the eastern and downtown core of St. John's.
Under Premier Danny Williams, any traditional notions of a left-right spectrum in Newfoundland and Labrador politics appear to be deteriorating. The Progressive Conservative Party has benefited from Williams' personal popularity, and the ideological orientation of the party system, it has been argued, has given way to a new one based on leadership personality and Newfoundland nationalism.
See also
- Newfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
- List of Newfoundland and Labrador general elections
- Premiers of Newfoundland and Labrador
- Leader of the Opposition (Newfoundland and Labrador)Leader of the Opposition (Newfoundland and Labrador)The Leader of the Opposition in Newfoundland and Labrador is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest party not in government in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly.This list is incomplete...
- History of Newfoundland and LabradorHistory of Newfoundland and LabradorThe History of Newfoundland and Labrador is the story of the peoples who have lived in what is now the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador....
- Politics of CanadaPolitics of CanadaThe politics of Canada function within a framework of parliamentary democracy and a federal system of parliamentary government with strong democratic traditions. Canada is a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is head of state...
- Political culture of CanadaPolitical culture of CanadaCanadian political culture is in some ways part of a greater North American and European political culture, which emphasizes constitutional law, freedom of religion, personal liberty, and regional autonomy; these ideas stemming in various degrees from the British common law and French civil law...
- Council of the FederationCouncil of the FederationThe Council of the Federation is a council in Canada made up of the premiers of Canada's thirteen provinces and territories. Its main function is to provide a united front amongst the provincial and territorial governments when interacting with Canada's federal government...