SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Elections

Honourable senators, today I am pleased to present Chapter 85 of “Telling Our Story.”

The first Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Joseph R. Smallwood, dominated the political scene of our province for decades. He led Newfoundland and Labrador into Confederation in 1949 and subsequently won six consecutive general elections. On January 18, 1972, Smallwood resigned as premier and was replaced by Frank Moores, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party. This event ended 23 years of Liberal Party government, but this change did not come easily.

On October 6, 1971, Smallwood announced that a provincial election would be held on October 28. When the count ended on October 29, the result was very close to a tie. The Progressive Conservatives had 21 seats, the Liberals had 20 and the New Labrador Party had 1. Six districts had been decided by fewer than 100 votes, with one seat decided by a margin of 8 votes. Recounts were requested in all six districts because the results meant no clear winner had emerged.

Whichever party formed the government would have to elect one of its own members to serve as the Speaker of the House, thus decreasing its number of seats by one. Two months of recounts and court action followed. In the meantime, the narrow election result brought on confusion and political intrigue. Both Moores and Smallwood sought support from Tom Burgess, the lone New Labrador Party member, who held the balance of power.

On November 12, Burgess announced he would be supporting the Progressive Conservatives, giving them a very slim majority. But 10 days later, it became known that the St. Barbe recount could not be completed because, after the deputy returning officer — a lady named Olive Payne — in Polling Station 13 in the community of Sally’s Cove counted the ballots, she accidentally put them in the woodstove and burned them, so no recount was possible as 106 ballots were gone.

The situation ended up in the court, but the judge ruled that the ballot burning was an unfortunate accident and that Ms. Payne had no political motive and had not committed a crime. So, the Progressive Conservatives were back in majority territory, but it was short-lived. Tom Burgess, the New Labrador Party candidate who had joined the Progressive Conservatives, said that the Progressive Conservative leader had promised him a cabinet post. When he did not receive it, Burgess decided to leave the Progressive Conservatives and joined the Liberals. Then another Progressive Conservative member by the name of Hughie Shea was upset because he did not make it into Moores’ cabinet, so he quit and joined the Liberals as well.

But as the old saying goes, “It is never over until it is over.” Within a short period of time, newly elected Liberal members Augustus Oldford and William Saunders decided to give up their seats altogether. So, when the House finally opened on March 1, 1972, 20 Progressive Conservatives faced 20 Liberals. Tory James Russell was elected Speaker, leaving a government of 19 against an opposition of 20.

That very evening, Premier Moores asked the Lieutenant Governor to dissolve the assembly and call an election. The Lieutenant Governor agreed, and the ensuing election held on March 24, 1972, returned a solid Progressive Conservative majority of 33 seats again 9 Liberals.

After losing the leadership of the Liberal Party in 1974, Joey eventually resigned in June 1977 at the age of 76. The days of Joey’s reign over Newfoundland and Labrador had come to an end.

Thank you.