Monarch Elizabeth II Premier Kathy Dunderdale Succeeded by Eddie Joyce Lieutenant Governor Frank Fagan Name Dwight Ball Children Jade Ball | Succeeding Paul Davis Role Politician Siblings Dean Ball Parents Evelyn Ball | |
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Premier Kathy Dunderdale
Tom Marshall
Paul Davis Party Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador Similar People Paul Davis, Earle McCurdy, Cathy Bennett, Kathy Dunderdale | ||
Preceded by Eddie Joyce (Interim) | ||
Leaders' Debate: Newfoundland and Labrador Election 2019
Dwight Ball MHA is a Canadian politician, the premier-designate of Newfoundland and Labrador and leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador. He represents the electoral district of Humber Valley in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly.
Contents
- Leaders Debate Newfoundland and Labrador Election 2019
- Early life and career
- Politics
- Leadership
- Electoral record
- References
On 3 January 2012, Ball began his duties as Leader of the Official Opposition and interim leader of the Liberal Party. On 5 July 2013 Ball stepped down as interim leader of the Liberal Party to run for the position permanently in the 2013 leadership election, which he won.
On 30 November 2015, Ball won a 31-seat majority government in the 2015 election.
Early life and career
Ball was raised in Deer Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador, and graduated from Elwood Regional High School. He attended Memorial Universitywhen he was 17 years old.
Ball was the recipient of the Bowl of Hygeia for his work as a community pharmacist that began with his franchising of the Deer Lake Pharmacy. Ball later bought a community pharmacy in Springdale. Ball is also the owner of several senior care homes and is involved in real estate development and venture capital investments. The towns of Deer Lake and Springdale have independently both named Ball as Employer of the Year for his contributions to supportive employment programs in the area.
Politics
Ball was the Liberal candidate in the district of Humber Valley in the 2003 provincial election but was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Kathy Goudie by less than 200 votes. When Goudie resigned from the legislature, Ball ran in a by-election to succeed her on 13 February 2007. At first, it was announced that Progressive Conservative candidate Darryl Kelly had won the by-election by a margin of twelve votes; however, Ball was later declared elected by a margin of 18 votes. A judicial recount was conducted weeks later and resulted in a reduction of Ball's lead to seven votes. In a rematch in the general election on 9 October 2007, Kelly defeated Ball by 254 votes. Four years later Ball once again ran as the Liberal candidate in the 2011 election and this time narrowly defeated Kelly by 68 votes.
Leadership
At a press conference on 15 December 2011, the Liberal Party announced that Ball would serve as interim leader of the party and as the Leader of the Official Opposition, effective 3 January 2012. He succeeds Kevin Aylward, who failed to win a seat in the general election, as leader of the Liberal Party and Yvonne Jones as the Official Opposition Leader. Ball announced on the same day that he planned to run for the permanent leadership of the party at the next leadership convention, and that he would step down as interim leader 90 days before the convention to even the playing field for other candidates. In May 2012, the party announced the leadership convention would take place from 15–17 November 2013. On 5 July 2013, Ball stepped down as interim leader of the Liberal Party to run for the position permanently in the leadership election that November, which he won with 59% of the vote on the 3rd ballot. Ball served as leader for the party in the 2015 general election.