House of Assembly closes early despite political uncertainty
The legislature was open for seven days
Despite the uncertainty of a trade war, an ongoing race for provincial Liberal leadership and ministers who didn't know who should answer questions during question period, government closed the House of Assembly weeks ahead of schedule on Wednesday.
"We come in in March to bring down interim supply," government House leader Lisa Dempster said. "We'll reconvene the House when we do a budget in the coming weeks."
Three notable bills were passed in the seven-day session: the Law Enforcement Oversight Commission Act, the Offshore Renewable Energy Management Newfoundland and Labrador Act, and the interim budget supply, which holds $200 million in contingency money to soften any potential blows to industry and labour amid tariff threats from the United States.
Opposition parties believe the House closing early signifies the province's changing political environment.
"The whole Liberal caucus on the opposite side and the whole Liberal government at the present time seems to be in chaos. They're leaderless, they don't know which direction they're going in," said PC Leader Tony Wakeham.
NDP Leader Jim Dinn blames the Liberal leadership race and upcoming federal election for the legislature's closure.
"What dictates the Liberal agenda is their own agenda and not the business of the people," he said. "That's not business as usual."
Changing cabinet
Of the 22 Liberal MHAs, just two — outgoing Premier Andrew Furey and Energy Minister Andrew Parsons — have confirmed they aren't running in the next election. Two of those MHAs — John Hogan and John Abbott — are running for Liberal leadership, and Dempster is considering running federally.
Other ministers now hold doubled portfolios, and Wakeham questions the party's strength.
"It doesn't say much for the talent pool that you have in your caucus when two of the most important portfolios in the province, those being health and the other being mental health and addictions or housing rather, and you have a minister doing those off the corner of their desk," he said.
But the Liberals say the PCs are missing the mark.
On March 4, Canada was supposed to face 25 per cent tariffs on goods entering the United States. The provincial Tories, who have the majority of question period to challenge the governing Liberals in the legislature, didn't ask a single question related to tariffs.
Instead, the party again focused primarily on the province's controversial land deals.
"It's very concerning that the opposition didn't think that this was the most important issue of the day. It certainly is," said Finance Minister Siobhan Coady.
After being questioned by reporters, Wakeham led question period the following day with tariffs as the topic, and tied it back to the province's controversial sugar tax.
"Let me ask the minister of finance, now that the architect of the sugar tax has resigned, will you eliminate the sugar tax to help Newfoundlanders and Labradorians?" he said.
The NDP primarily focused on housing, affordability and tariffs.
"We're in the middle of a tariff war with our neighbour to the south that's going to have potentially big financial impact on the people of this province," said Dinn.
The House of Assembly will resume later this month to debate the provincial budget.
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