Newest MHA to be elected Monday night as voters go to polls in Baie Verte-Green Bay

CBC
·2 min read
From left: Progressive Conservative Lin Paddock, Liberal Owen Burt and NDP candidate Riley Harnett are on the ballot to become the new MHA of Baie Verte-Green Bay. (Troy Turner/CBC, Submitted by Owen Burt, Submitted by Eddy St. Coeur - image credit)
From left: Progressive Conservative Lin Paddock, Liberal Owen Burt and NDP candidate Riley Harnett are on the ballot to become the new MHA of Baie Verte-Green Bay. (Troy Turner/CBC, Submitted by Owen Burt, Submitted by Eddy St. Coeur - image credit)
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From left: Progressive Conservative Lin Paddock, Liberal Owen Burt and NDP candidate Riley Harnett are on the ballot to become the new MHA of Baie Verte-Green Bay.
From left: Progressive Conservative Lin Paddock, Liberal Owen Burt and NDP candidate Riley Harnett are on the ballot to become the new MHA of Baie Verte-Green Bay.

From left: Progressive Conservative Lin Paddock, Liberal Owen Burt and NDP candidate Riley Harnett are on the ballot to become the new MHA of Baie Verte-Green Bay. (Troy Turner/CBC, Submitted by Owen Burt, Submitted by Eddy St. Coeur)

Voters in the central Newfoundland district of Baie Verte-Green Bay head to the polls Monday to elect the region's next MHA.

Liberal MHA Brian Warr resigned his seat in February, after representing the district since 2015.

Three candidates are vying to replace him: Liberal Owen Burt, Progressive Conservative Lin Paddock and NDP candidate Riley Harnett.

Polls open at 8 a.m. NT and will close at 8 p.m NT.

Paddock competed for the seat in the 2021 general election, losing to Warr by 171 votes.

The district, formerly known as Baie Verte-Springdale, now covers 40 communities in the northern coastal area of central Newfoundland.

Monday marks the third byelection so far this year in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The first two saw seats change political colours. Liberal Fred Hutton claimed the formerly Tory seat of Conception Bay East-Bell Island in January, while PC candidate Jim McKenna won the byelection in Fogo Island-Cape Freels following the death of Liberal MHA Derrick Bragg.

In interviews with CBC Radio's Newfoundland Morning during the campaign, both Paddock and Burt said addressing health care would be their biggest priority if elected.

Paddock said he also plans to focus on things like roads, an overhaul of the Crown Lands system and investment opportunities for the region, while Burt said he plans to focus on things like road infrastructure and tourism opportunities among other items.

Harnett declined an interview with CBC News.

The race has heated up in the past week, with both Paddock and Burt making headlines.

Paddock faced scrutiny last week for comments he made during a debate in Green Bay about the province recruiting doctors from overseas, particularly from India and Pakistan.

PC Leader Tony Wakeham told reporters he accepted an apology from Paddock and believes the comments weren't meant to be derogatory, but Premier Andrew Furey said he wanted Paddock removed from the ballot over the comments.

Meanwhile, Burt's membership in the Conservative Party of Canada raised eyebrows. He told CBC News he believes in the leadership of Liberal Premier Andrew Furey, but doesn't support the policies of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Furey said he is not concerned that Burt will cross the floor if he wins.

The Liberals currently hold 22 of the 40 seats in the House of Assembly. The Opposition PCs hold 12 seats, while the NDP have three. Two MHAs are Independents.

While the byelection will fill the sole vacancy, another seat will soon become empty. Health Minister Tom Osborne announced Friday he will retire this July.

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