Premier Andrew Furey will bid farewell to provincial politics this afternoon.

At today’s Liberal leadership convention, either John Hogan or John Abbott will be named the next Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, marking the end of Furey’s nearly five-year tenure in the province’s top job. Furey won his own leadership bid in the summer of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Furey’s parting message to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador is twofold. First, a simple “thank you.” He says it has been an “incredible honour and privilege” to travel the province and be part of people’s lives. While some conversations have been difficult, he is grateful for the experience and the trust placed in him, saying it has changed him as a person.

Secondly, Furey highlights the province’s beauty and the many opportunities available across sectors such as wind-to-hydrogen, critical minerals, petroleum, and the fishery.

He adds, “Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in negative commentary, especially on social media. When you feel that way, take a moment, take a breath, and look up beyond Facebook or Twitter. See what Newfoundland and Labrador truly has to offer—how special a place it is to live, and how special it will be for generations to come.”