The Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, today announced changes to his Cabinet.

Effective immediately, the changes are:

• The Honourable Krista Lynn Howell, Minister of Education
• The Honourable Elvis Loveless, Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture
• The Honourable Paul Pike, Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development; Minister Responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities; Minister Responsible for the Community Sector; and Minister Responsible for the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation
• The Honourable John Haggie, Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs and Registrar General
• The Honourable John G. Abbott, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure and Minister Responsible for the Public Procurement Agency
• The Honourable Derrick Bragg, Minister without portfolio.

Biographies of the ministers are included in the backgrounder below.

Quote
“I am fortunate to serve the people of Newfoundland and Labrador with an excellent team of passionate, dedicated individuals committed to building a brighter future for our province. I thank each and every member of our government for their unwavering dedication, and for the energy they bring to each of their portfolios. As I support Minister Bragg in dealing with his health, I welcome Minister Pike to Cabinet and look forward to working with each minister in their new roles.”
Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

-30-

BACKGROUNDER

Biographies

Hon. Krista Lynn Howell, Member for St. Barbe – L’Anse aux Meadows
Krista Lynn Howell was born and raised on the Great Northern Peninsula. With the exception of time spent in St. John’s to attend Memorial University, Krista has lived in the district of St. Barbe – L’Anse aux Meadows.

In 2011 she graduated from the Memorial University School of Nursing with a Bachelor of Nursing Degree. Minister Howell has an interest in the dynamics and scope of rural nursing, so working on the Northern Peninsula was a perfect fit. She enrolled in a Masters of Nursing Program to increase her knowledge and skill set and while other things are taking up her time these days, with only two courses left to completion, it is still on her priority list.

Minister Howell is active in her community. She was a Girl Guide leader, a youth advocate, a swim team coach and a Boys and Girls Club Board Member. Aside from advocating for people in those roles Krista also found a passion in representing the people as a “voice” for her community.

A successful by-election bid for local council in St. Anthony in 2015 introduced her to what would become one of her greatest interests: Municipal Government.

Learning from experienced members of the Council team and realizing she could facilitate meaningful changes for the people of her town and region simply meant she was hooked! She ran again in 2017 and became the Deputy Mayor of St. Anthony. In 2019 she made a little history when she was appointed the first ever female Mayor of historic St. Anthony.

When the chance came to step into provincial politics there was no hesitation. Being a voice for even more people was a once in a life time opportunity. She could not turn it down. Krista was up for the challenge and in March 2021 she was elected to the House of Assembly. In April 2021 her passion was realized when she was appointed Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs and Registrar General for the province.

Hon. Elvis Loveless, Member for Fortune Bay – Cape La Hune
Elvis Loveless originates from Seal Cove Fortune Bay, married to Marsha (Newport) Loveless with two children; Kaitlyn and Ryan. He was first elected to the House of Assembly for the beautiful district of Fortune Bay-Cape La Hune in 2019.

Minister Loveless takes great pride in representing his constituents, and that will always be his top priority. He pledges to work tirelessly for all issues that matter to his constituents. He began his journey in the political field in 1996 and since that time, he worked as Executive Assistant and Policy Advisor to three former Newfoundland and Labrador Premiers, and also worked with various cabinet ministers. In August 2020, he was appointed to cabinet as Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture. In April 2021, he was appointed as Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure and Minister Responsible for the Public Procurement Act.

Hon. Paul Pike, Member for Burin – Grand Bank
Paul Pike graduated from Memorial University with a Bachelor of Arts (Education) Degree and a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration. He has four decades of experience in teaching and administration at all education levels including post-secondary.

Minister Pike has been involved in promoting the development and economic sustainability of the Burin Peninsula for a number of years, having served on municipal council with the Town of St. Lawrence for twenty-eight years, including time as mayor. He also served as Vice-President of Municipalities NL and Public Relations Chairperson of the Municipal Assessment Agency.

Minister Pike has also been an active volunteer in his community as a Director with the Community Credit Union, Director with the Burin Peninsula Community Development Board and as a member of the Burin Peninsula Eastern Health Advisory Board, among involvement in other organizations.

He and his wife Laura have three children and seven grandchildren.

Minister Pike was elected as the MHA for Burin – Grand Bank in the 2021 Provincial General Election.

Hon. John Haggie, Member for Gander
Born in England, the Honourable John Haggie completed his medical studies at Victoria University in Manchester. He held several positions as physician, surgeon, tutor and registrar in the North West region of England and after a two-year fellowship, he received a doctorate in cancer research.

Since moving to Canada in the early nineties, Minister Haggie has had a long and distinguished career in medicine in Newfoundland and Labrador. He practiced initially as a general surgeon in St. Anthony with the Grenfell Region Health Services. In 1997, he was appointed attending surgeon of general and vascular surgery at James Paton Memorial Hospital in Gander. In 2008, he was appointed Chief of Staff at James Paton Memorial Hospital.

Minister Haggie served as President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association and the Canadian Medical Association.

In Newfoundland and Labrador’s 2015 general election, he was elected MHA for the District of Gander and appointed to Cabinet to serve as the Minister of Health and Community Services, after which he served as Minister of Education.

Hon. John G. Abbott, Member for St. John’s East – Quidi Vidi
John G. Abbott is one of ten children born to William & Angela (Ennis) Abbott raised in the family home on Portugal Cove Road in the District of St. John’s East – Quidi Vidi.

He attended Memorial University where he met his wife, Colleen Hanrahan, in a Political Science class and completed a degree in Political Science & Economics, followed by a graduate degree in Public Administration from Carleton University. Following graduation, he started work with the Provincial Finance Department.

Minister Abbott was a senior executive in various departments: Health, Municipal Affairs, Transportation & Works, Treasury Board, and Newfoundland & Labrador Housing. In 2017, he led the development of the much-heralded mental health and addictions action plan for the province. He is also former CEO of both the Canadian Mental Health Association – NL Division and Health Council of Canada.

In 1999, he was awarded the IPAC Lt. Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration and the Pottle Award for promoting mental health in the community.

Minister Abbott has served on national and provincial boards including the Kiwanis Music Festival Association, the Jimmy Pratt Foundation, and Canadian Corps of Commissionaires-NL.

Minister Abbott is an avid hiker, having backpacked across Newfoundland, in Europe and Mount Kilimanjaro, and slept under the stars in the Antarctic. On April 8, 2021, he was sworn in as Minister of Children, Seniors & Social Development, Minister Responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities, Minister Responsible for the Community Sector, and Minister Responsible for Newfoundland & Labrador Housing.

Hon. Derrick Bragg, Member for Fogo Island – Cape Freels
Derrick Bragg was born and raised in the small community of Greenspond, Newfoundland and Labrador, where he was employed in the municipal sector for 30 years as town clerk/manager. He was a strong advocate of community engagement and volunteered on various committees including fire chief for 28 years.

Minister Bragg served on the board of directors for the NL Association of Municipal Administrators for eight years, five of which was in the capacity of president. He was elected on November 30, 2015 and re-elected May 16, 2019, and previously served as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment.