REGINA – Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has offered his congratulations to new Newfoundland and Labrador Premier-elect Tony Wakeham following his election victory.
Premier Moe posted the following on the X platform:
“Congratulations to NL PC Leader @TonyWakehamNL who appears will be the next Premier of Newfoundland & Labrador after a very close election.
I look forward to working with you to build our provinces within a strong and united Canada.”
Wakeham’s Progressive Conservatives narrowly edged out Premier John Hogan and the Liberals to win a majority in Tuesday’s provincial election, with the PCs winning 21 seats to the Liberals 15, the NDP with two and two independents.
The result has been described as a major upset with most pollsters predicting another Liberal win prior to the election, but voters had other ideas.
The result now reduces the Liberals to just one provincial Premier, Susan Holt of New Brunswick. Meanwhile the number of provincial Premiers has further tilted to the right: there are now four PC provincial premiers, one United Conservative, one Sask Party, two NDP and one Coalition Avenir Quebec.
It is too early to say what the implications are for issues such as tariffs, interprovincial trade or even the Notwithstanding Clause of the Constitution. Five Premiers including Moe have already signed on to a joint letter to the Prime Minister opposing the federal government’s stance on the Notwithstanding Clause in a case going to the Supreme Court.
