A man who grew up sharing political stories with his dad more so than sports stories and who calls himself the “change-maker” is now running Newfoundland and Labrador.
Andrew Furey, the son of Liberal Senator George Furey, handily defeated John Abbott for the Liberal leadership last night to become the province’s 14th premier.
He will take office after being sworn in by Lieutenant Governor Judy Foote on a date yet to be announced.
Premier-Designate Andrew Furey embraces his family after his leadership win.
Furey was the frontrunner from the outset after attracting the support of the entire Liberal Cabinet.
In his victory speech, Furey promised to invite the brightest minds to the table to figure out solutions to our financial woes.
He says the status quo no longer works, and that we cannot afford it. Furey wants to rid the province of the boom and bust associated with oil and gas and create a sustainable economy.
Furey says his first order of business will be to get a healthy understanding of the province’s finances. @VOCMNEWS #nlpoli pic.twitter.com/mqLS1Nfc7C
— Ben Murphy (@VOCMBen) August 3, 2020
Furey also promised not to blame previous administrations for current problems.
To quote President John F. Kennedy, he said, “let us not fix the blame for the past, let us accept our own responsibility for the future.”
The Premier-Designate says he will run in the first available seat, and that he will be working with Abbott.
Abbott plans to run for the Liberals in the next election.
He acknowledges that the two will be having further conversations.
