Earle McCurdy (born 1950)[1] is a former leader of the Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party and a former labour leader in Newfoundland and Labrador. He was president of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union from 1993 to 2014,[2] succeeding founding president Richard Cashin.[3] Previously, McCurdy was the union's secretary-treasurer for 13 years, from 1980 to 1993.[3]
Background
McCurdy was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1950,[4] and grew up in St. John's, Newfoundland where he attended Prince of Wales Collegiate.[1] He is a graduate of Memorial University of Newfoundland, where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts in 1972,[1] and worked as a reporter for The St. John's Evening Telegram in the 1970s, covering the labour beat, before becoming involved with the fisheries' union.[5]
His most notable time as union president was during Canada's fishing dispute with the European Union, known as the Turbot War.[4][6]
NDP Leader
McCurdy was elected leader of the Newfoundland and Labrador NDP at the party's leadership convention held March 7, 2015, defeating two other contenders with 68% support on the first ballot.[7][4] In the 2015 provincial election, McCurdy failed to win a seat in the House of Assembly and was defeated by Siobhán Coady by nearly 1000 votes.[8][9][10][11]
On June 11, 2016, McCurdy's leadership was reaffirmed at the party's provincial convention with the support of 91.6% of delegates.[12]
On September 19, 2017, McCurdy announced his resignation as Leader, effective September 30, 2017.[13] His resignation came after Steve Kent announced he would resign his seat of Mount Pearl North where McCurdy resided but which was unlikely to be winnable for the NDP.[14] Following McCurdy's resignation, MHA and former leader Lorraine Michael was named interim leader.[15]
Electoral record
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Siobhán Coady | 2,342 | 46.0 | ||
| New Democratic | Earle McCurdy | 1,384 | 27.2 | ||
| Progressive Conservative | Dan Crummell | 1,364 | 26.8 | ||
| First Ballot[7] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | Perc. | |
| Earle McCurdy | 889 | 68.5% | |
| Mike Goosney | 299 | 23.0% | |
| Chris Bruce | 110 | 8.5% | |
| Spoiled Ballots | 0 | 0.00% | |
| Totals | 1298 | 100% | |
References
- ^ a b c "Why the Divorce? The Merits and Shortcomings of a fleet separation policy" (PDF). Memorial University. The Harris Centre - Memorial University.
- ^ "Earle McCurdy NDP Biography". Archived from the original on 2015-02-22. Retrieved 2015-02-22.
- ^ a b "Earle McCurdy stepping down from helm of fisheries union". CBC News. November 3, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Take us to your leaders: What you may not know about Davis, Ball and McCurdy". www.cbc.ca. Retrieved 2015-11-29.
- ^ Wakeham, Bob (January 17, 2015). "McCurdy and me". The Telegram. Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
- ^ "Depleted Fish Stocks Spark Canada's Turbot War With Spain". Chicago Tribune. March 19, 1995. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
- ^ a b "Earle McCurdy Named Leader of the NDP". VOCM News. March 7, 2015. Archived from the original on March 10, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
- ^ "Newfoundland & Labrador Election Platform 2015" (PDF). Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party. 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ^ "'Nothing fancy': Earle McCurdy costs out NDP election plan". www.cbc.ca. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 23 November 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ^ "NDP Leader Earle McCurdy loses to Siobhan Coady". CBC News. 30 November 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
- ^ "Full list of winners in Newfoundland and Labrador election". CBC News, November 30, 2015.
- ^ "Earle McCurdy gets overwhelming endorsement to stay on as NDP leader". CBC News. June 13, 2016.
- ^ "McCurdy to Step Down as Provincial NDP Leader". VOCM Local News Now. Archived from the original on 2017-09-19. Retrieved 2017-09-19.
- ^ "Promotions, resignations, murder trials: Uncontrollable events in N.L. politics". CBC News. September 23, 2017.
- ^ "Lorraine Michael named interim NDP leader". Saltwire Network. Sep 28, 2017. Retrieved Apr 6, 2021.
