N.L. Premier Andrew Furey says he is leaving politics

CITYnewa halifax / By The Canadian Press

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey says he will be stepping down after nearly five years in power, making him the second Atlantic premier in less than a week to resign citing the rigours of the job.

Furey, an orthopedic surgeon, told reporters on Tuesday he has always maintained he is not “a career politician,” explaining that he couldn’t commit to another full term in office, with a provincial election scheduled to take place this year.

“This job has been like one five-year-long shift,” he said in his resignation speech, as his cabinet ministers looked on. “You are always on. You are never off. You are with everyone for the celebrations, but often alone with the weight of the hardest calls. You go to bed with it on your mind, and it’s your wake-up call every single morning.”

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Dennis King, who stepped down as Prince Edward Island premier on Friday, made similar comments as he resigned, saying he didn’t want to be a “lifer” in politics and explaining how the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises took their toll.

Furey, who became premier in August 2020 after winning the Liberal leadership, said he has asked the party to begin a race to replace him. He said he will remain premier until his replacement is chosen.

“The time has come for me to return to my family and to the job that I Iove in the operating room, where I will continue to serve the people of this province in a different way,” he said.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston thanked Furey for his service.

“Premier Furey led the people of Newfoundland and Labrador through challenging times, and our region is thankful for his service,” Houston wrote. “Together, we created the Atlantic Physician Registry, opposed the federal carbon tax and worked together on a Team Canada approach to the threat of U.S. tariffs.”

Furey’s resignation comes as the province, like the rest of the country, faces the threat of crippling 25 per cent tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump, who said Monday that the tariffs are going forward on Canadian and Mexican goods.

Calling Trump, an “erratic, crazy, bonkers president,” Furey said the looming trade war with the U.S. was not the main reason for his departure, but the prospect of four years of Trump-fuelled uncertainty made his decision easier.

“Once it became clear that it will be continuously uncertain, that allowed us as a family to make a decision with more freedom,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 25, 2025.