View source for Labrador Party

{{Short description|Canadian provincial political party}}
The '''Labrador Party''' (or '''New Labrador Party''') was the name of two political parties in [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]] advocating the interests of the region of [[Labrador]], Canada.
==New Labrador Party (1969–1975)==
{{Infobox political party
| name          = New Labrador Party
| native_name   = 
| _subheader    = Provincial political party
| logo          = 
| leader        = 
| president     = 
| chairman      = 
| chairperson   = 
| spokesperson  = 
| leader1_title =  
| leader1_name  =  
| foundation    = 1969
| dissolution   = 1975
| merger        = 
| split         = 
| predecessor   = 
| merged        = 
| successor     = 
| headquarters  = 
| ideology      = [[Labrador]] interests
| position      = 
| national      = 
| international = 
| student_wing  = 
| youth_wing    = 
| membership    = 
| membership_year = 
| colours       = 
| colors        = 
| colorcode     = #015521
| blank1_title  = Fiscal policy
| blank1        = 
| blank2_title  = Social policy
| blank2        = 
| seats1_title  = <--! Seats in the House of Commons -->
| seats1        = 
| seats2_title  = Seats in the Senate
| seats2        = 
| seats3_title  = Seats in [[Legislative Assemblies of Canadian provinces and territories|Legislature]]
| seats3        = 
| website       = 
| country       = Canada
| state         = Canada
| parties_dab1  = List of political parties in Canada
| elections_dab1= Elections in Canada
| footnotes     = 
}}
The party was founded in 1969 by [[Tom Burgess (Newfoundland politician)|Tom Burgess]], a disaffected former Liberal MHA who crossed the floor to become an independent when he was passed over for a cabinet seat. He was re-elected to the [[Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly]] from [[Labrador West (electoral district)|Labrador West]] in the [[1971 Newfoundland general election|1971 provincial election]] under the New Labrador Party banner. The election returned a [[hung parliament]]. Burgess initially indicated that he would support the opposition Progressive Conservative Party's bid to form a government and unseat Premier [[Joey Smallwood]]'s Liberals but, days after Conservative leader [[Frank Moores]] was sworn in as Premier, Burgess was enticed to rejoin the Liberals under the false promise that he would succeed Joey Smallwood as Liberal leader and Premier. Burgess joined the Liberals on January 31, 1972<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.heritage.nf.ca/law/changing_gov_timeline.html | title=Timeline: Changing Government 1971-72: Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage }}</ref> but was defeated in the party's leadership convention. His defection and that of a Progressive Conservative MHA was enough to bring down the Moores government and force an election; however, Burgess lost his seat and Moores formed a majority Conservative government.<ref name=bio>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/cns_enl/id/1688 |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador]] |page=288 |title=Burgess, Thomas William}}</ref>

[[Michael S. Martin (politician)|Mike Martin]] won a seat for the party in a 1972 [[by-election]] in Labrador South. However, the MHA retired prior to the [[1975 Newfoundland general election|1975 election]], and the party was dissolved.

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
|+ Election results
|-
! scope="col" | Election year
! scope="col" | No. of<br />overall votes
! scope="col" | % of<br />overall total
! scope="col" | % of total<br />in Labrador
! scope="col" | No. of<br />candidates who ran
! scope="col" | No. of<br />seats won
! scope="col" | +/&minus;
! scope="col" | Government
|-
| [[1971 Newfoundland general election|1971]]
| 5,595
| 2.38
| 45.00
| {{Composition bar|3|42|hex=#3CB371}}
| {{Composition bar|1|42|hex=#3CB371}}
| {{steady}}
| {{No2|Third Party}}
|-
|[[1972 Newfoundland general election|1972]]
|2,548
|1.21
|22.58
|{{Composition bar|3|42|hex=#3CB371}}
|{{Composition bar|0|42|hex=#3CB371}}
|{{decrease}}1
|{{eliminated|No seats}}
|-
|}

{{CANelec/top|NL|August 31, 1972|by=yes|reason=Void election|percent=yes|change=yes}}
{{CANelec|NL|Labrador|[[Michael S. Martin (politician)|Michael S. Martin]]|1,057|50.65|+0.68}}
{{CANelec|NL|Liberal|[[Josiah Harvey]]|899|43.05|-6.98}}
{{CANelec|NL|PC|Edward F. Kearsey|132|6.30|–}}
{{CANelec/total|Total valid votes|2,088|99.24|–}}
{{CANelec/total|Total rejected ballots|16|0.76|–}}
{{CANelec/total|Turnout|2,104|94.01|+10.68}}
{{CANelec/total|Eligible voters|2,238}}
{{CANelec/gain|NL|Labrador|Liberal|+3.83}}
{{CANelec/source|Source: [[Elections Newfoundland & Labrador]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Labrador South By-Election, 1972 |url=https://www.elections.gov.nl.ca/elections/resources/pdf/electionreports/byelections/72.Labrador.South.aug.31.pdf |website=[[Elections NL]] |access-date=27 January 2025}}</ref>}}
{{end}}

==Second Labrador Party==
{{Infobox political party
| name          = Labrador Party
| native_name   = 
| _subheader    = Provincial political party
| logo          = 
| leader        = 
| president     = 
| chairman      = 
| chairperson   = 
| spokesperson  = 
| leader1_title =  
| leader1_name  =  
| foundation    = 2003
| dissolution   = 2007
| merger        = 
| split         = 
| predecessor   = 
| merged        = 
| successor     = 
| headquarters  = 
| ideology      = [[Labrador]] interests
| position      = 
| national      = 
| international = 
| student_wing  = 
| youth_wing    = 
| membership    = 
| membership_year = 
| colours       = [[White]], [[green]]
| colors        = 
| colorcode     = #015521
| blank1_title  = Fiscal policy
| blank1        = 
| blank2_title  = Social policy
| blank2        = 
| seats1_title  = <--! Seats in the House of Commons -->
| seats1        = 
| seats2_title  = Seats in the Senate
| seats2        = 
| seats3_title  = Seats in [[Legislative Assemblies of Canadian provinces and territories|Legislature]]
| seats3        = 
| website       = 
| country       = Canada
| state         = Canada
| parties_dab1  = List of political parties in Canada
| elections_dab1= Elections in Canada
| footnotes     = 
}}
Feelings among [[Labradorians]] that the region has been neglected by the Newfoundland and Labrador government led to the party's refounding in 2003 with Ern Condon as leader. The party nominated candidates in each of Labrador's four ridings in [[2003 Newfoundland and Labrador general election|that year's election]], with the hope of holding the balance of power in the [[Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly|House of Assembly]] and being able to trade political support for more services and attention to Labrador.

The party failed to win any seats, though Brandon Pardy came in second in Lake Melville with 32% of the vote.<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news2/canada/nlvotes2011/ridings/026/ Electoral districts. Lake Melville]</ref> The party received 12% of the vote in [[Labrador West (electoral district)|Labrador West]], 8% in [[Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair]], and 5% in [[Torngat Mountains (electoral district)|Torngat Mountains]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elections.gov.nl.ca/elections/ElectionReports/PDF/General.Elections/GEreport2003.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413130638/https://www.elections.gov.nl.ca/elections/ElectionReports/PDF/General.Elections/GEreport2003.pdf |archive-date=2014-04-13 |title=Report on the October 21, 2003 General Election|publisher=Office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Newfoundland and Labrador|date=9 July 2004|access-date=21 November 2018}}</ref>

The party chose Ron Barron, the Deputy Mayor of [[Wabush]], as the party leader in preparation for the next provincial election. In a [[by-election]] for the riding of [[Labrador West (electoral district)|Labrador West]] held on March 13, 2007, Labrador Party candidate Ron Barron came in third, winning 670 of a total of just over 4000 votes cast.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/ndp-support-leaking-to-labrador-party-union-official-1.652475 |title = NDP support leaking to Labrador Party: union official |access-date=2007-11-09 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070228073911/http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2007/02/23/lab-west.html |archive-date=2007-02-28 }}</ref>

In the fall [[2007 Newfoundland and Labrador general election|election in 2007]], the Labrador Party decided not to run candidates in three of Labrador's four ridings so the vote between parties opposed to the [[Newfoundland Progressive Conservative Party|Progressive Conservatives]] would not get split.<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/no-regrets-over-pulling-candidates-labrador-party-says-1.674781 No regrets over pulling candidates, Labrador Party says]</ref><ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/tories-defy-energy-critics-in-labrador-1.665193 Tories defy energy critics in Labrador] CBC</ref> Jimmy Tuttauk, the party's only candidate, earned almost 8% of the vote in the district of [[Torngat Mountains (electoral district)|Torngat Mountains]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/nlvotes2007/riding/045|title=CBC.ca &#124; Newfoundland & Labrador Votes 2007 &#124; District Profiles|date=12 October 2007|access-date=16 March 2023|archive-date=12 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012025018/https://www.cbc.ca/nlvotes2007/riding/045|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
|+ Election results
|-
! scope="col" | Election year
! scope="col" | Leader
! scope="col" | No. of<br />overall votes
! scope="col" | % of<br />overall total
! scope="col" | % of total<br />in Labrador
! scope="col" | No. of<br />candidates who ran
! scope="col" | No. of<br />seats won
! scope="col" | +/&minus;
! scope="col" | Government
|-
| [[2003 Newfoundland and Labrador general election|2003]]
| Ern Condon
| 2,391
| 0.86
| 17.85
| {{Composition bar|4|48|hex=#3CB371}}
| {{Composition bar|0|48|hex=#3CB371}}
| {{steady}}
| {{eliminated|No seats}}
|-
|[[2007 Newfoundland and Labrador general election|2007]]
| Ron Barron
|109
|0.03
|0.88
|{{Composition bar|1|48|hex=#3CB371}}
|{{Composition bar|0|48|hex=#3CB371}}
|{{steady}}
|{{eliminated|No seats}}
|-
|}

{{CANelec/top|NL|March 13, 2007|by=yes|reason=upon the resignation of [[Randy Collins]]|percent=yes|change=yes}}
{{CANelec|NL|PC|[[Jim Baker (politician)|Jim Baker]]|1,666|41.62|+18.59}}
{{CANelec|NL|NDP|Darrel J. Brenton|1,240|30.97|-24.74}}
{{CANelec|NL|Labrador|Ron Barron|670|16.74|+4.01}}
{{CANelec|NL|Liberal|Karen Oldford|427|10.67|+2.14}}
{{CANelec/total|Total valid votes|4,003|99.80|–}}
{{CANelec/total|Total rejected ballots|8|0.20|–}}
{{CANelec/total|Turnout|4,011|50.09|-10.90}}
{{CANelec/total|Eligible voters|8,008}}
{{CANelec/gain|NL|PC|NDP|+21.67}}
{{CANelec/source|Source: [[Elections Newfoundland & Labrador]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Report of the Chief Electoral Officer on the Labrador West By Election |url=https://www.elections.gov.nl.ca/elections/resources/pdf/electionreports/byelections/07.LabradorWest-March13.pdf |access-date=27 January 2025}}</ref>}}
{{end}}

==Leaders==
* [[Tom Burgess (Newfoundland politician)|Tom Burgess]] (1969–1972)
* Ern Condon (2003–2004)
* Ron Barron (2004–2007)

==See also==
*[[List of political parties in Newfoundland and Labrador#Other registered parties|List of political parties in Newfoundland and Labrador]]
*[[2007 Newfoundland and Labrador provincial by-elections|2007 Labrador West provincial by-election]]

==Notes==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.upalong.org/labradorDb.asp?id=5 History of the New Labrador Party] (1969–1975)
{{Newfoundland and Labrador provincial political parties}}

[[Category:Provincial political parties in Newfoundland and Labrador]]
[[Category:Labrador]]