Dwight Ball facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Dwight Ball
Premier Dwight Ball in November 2016
13th Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
In office 14 December 2015 – 19 August 2020
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Lieutenant Governor	Frank Fagan Judy Foote
Preceded by	Paul Davis
Succeeded by	Andrew Furey
Minister of Intergovernmental and Indigenous Affairs
In office 8 November 2018 – 19 August 2020
Preceded by	position established
Succeeded by	position abolished
Minister Responsible for Labrador Affairs
In office 8 November 2018 – 19 August 2020
Preceded by	position established
Succeeded by	Lisa Dempster
Minister of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs
In office 14 December 2015 – 8 November 2018
Preceded by	Keith Russell
Succeeded by	position abolished
Leader of the Opposition (Newfoundland and Labrador)
In office 17 November 2013 – 14 December 2015
Preceded by	Eddie Joyce (Interim)
Succeeded by	Paul Davis
In office 3 January 2012 – 18 July 2013 Interim
Preceded by	Yvonne Jones
Succeeded by	Eddie Joyce (Interim)
Leader of the Liberal Party
In office 17 November 2013 – 3 August 2020
Preceded by	Eddie Joyce (Interim)
Succeeded by	Andrew Furey
Member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly for Humber-Gros Morne Humber Valley (2007, 2011-2015)
In office 30 November 2015 – 7 September 2020
Preceded by	district established
Succeeded by	Andrew Furey
In office 11 October 2011 – 30 November 2015
Preceded by	Darryl Kelly
Succeeded by	district abolished
In office 13 February 2007 – 9 October 2007
Preceded by	Kathy Goudie
Succeeded by	Darryl Kelly
Personal details
Born	(1957-12-21) 21 December 1957 (age 67) Deer Lake, Newfoundland, Canada
Political party	Liberal
Profession	Pharmacist

Dwight Ball (born 21 December 1957) is a Canadian politician. He served as the 13th Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador from 2015 to 2020. He was also a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly, which is like the provincial parliament.

Ball represented the area of Humber Valley and later Humber-Gros Morne. He was the leader of the Liberal Party from 2013 to 2020.

In 2012, Ball became the Leader of the Official Opposition and interim leader of the Liberal Party. He later ran for the permanent leadership position and won in 2013. He became Premier on 14 December 2015.

In the 2015 election, Ball's government won a majority of seats. They were re-elected in 2019, but this time with a minority government. Ball announced he would step down in February 2020. He was succeeded by Andrew Furey in August 2020.

Early Life and Career

Dwight Ball grew up in Deer Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador. He finished high school at Elwood Regional High School. At 17, he started studying at Memorial University. His younger brother, Dean Ball, was once the mayor of Deer Lake.

Work as a Pharmacist

Ball began his career as a community pharmacist. He owned the Deer Lake Pharmacy and later another pharmacy in Springdale. He received the Bowl of Hygeia Award for his work in this field.

Other Businesses

Besides pharmacies, Ball also owned several senior care homes. He was involved in real estate and investing in new businesses. Both Deer Lake and Springdale towns recognized him as "Employer of the Year." This was for his help with programs that support people finding jobs in the area.

Political Journey

Ball first ran as a Liberal candidate in 2003 for the Humber Valley district. He lost by a small number of votes.

Entering the House of Assembly

In 2007, he ran again in a special election called a by-election. He won by a very small margin of 18 votes. However, he lost his seat in the general election later that year. Four years later, in 2011, Ball ran again and won his seat back by just 68 votes.

Becoming Party Leader

In December 2011, Dwight Ball was chosen to be the interim leader of the Liberal Party. He also became the Leader of the Official Opposition. This meant he was the main voice against the government.

Ball announced he would run for the permanent leadership of the party. He stepped down as interim leader in July 2013 to prepare for the leadership election. In November 2013, he won the leadership race with 59% of the votes. This made him the official leader of the Liberal Party.

Time as Premier (2015–2020)

Dwight Ball became Premier on 14 December 2015. His Liberal Party won 31 out of 40 seats in the House of Assembly in the election that November. This gave them a strong majority government.

2019 Election and Minority Government

In the 2019 provincial election, the Liberal Party, led by Dwight Ball, won again. However, they did not win enough seats for a majority. This meant they formed a minority government. They needed support from other parties to pass laws.

Resignation as Premier

On 17 February 2020, Premier Ball announced he would be stepping down. He resigned as Premier and as the leader of the Liberal Party. The decision came after some questions were raised about a contract given to a consultant.

The Liberal Party held an election to choose a new leader. This election was held online in August 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Andrew Furey, a surgeon, was chosen as the new leader. Furey became Premier on 19 August 2020. Ball resigned from the House of Assembly in September 2020.

Minister of Labrador and Indigenous Affairs

After becoming Premier in 2015, Ball also took on the role of Minister of Labrador and Indigenous Affairs. This position focuses on issues important to Labrador and Indigenous communities. Some people questioned this choice because Ball was not from Labrador or an Indigenous person. However, some Indigenous leaders supported his appointment.

Public Inquiries During His Term

During Ball's time as Premier, he called for several public inquiries. These are official investigations into important events.

Muskrat Falls Project Inquiry

In 2017, Premier Ball called a public inquiry into the Muskrat Falls project. This was a very large hydroelectric project. The inquiry took place from 2018 to 2020. The report from the inquiry said that the government had decided to go ahead with the project no matter what. It also said that the project's financial plans were "questionable." The report found that Nalcor, the company in charge, did not fully consider other power options. It also said Nalcor hid information that could have made the project look less appealing.

Government Budget and Protests

In April 2016, Ball's government released its budget. It included measures to save money, known as austerity measures. The government expected the province to have a budget surplus again by 2022.

These budget changes led to protests across the province. People gathered in cities like St. John's and Corner Brook to show their disagreement.

Natural Resources and Challenges

Newfoundland and Labrador is a province that produces oil. The price of oil and the value of the Canadian dollar changed a lot during Ball's time. This affected the province's money situation.

Muskrat Falls Project Costs

The cost of the Muskrat Falls project had doubled since it began. Ball blamed previous governments for the problems caused by the project's rising costs.

Environmental Concerns

Researchers from Harvard University found that the Muskrat Falls project could increase methylmercury levels in fish. Methylmercury is a harmful substance. After protests by Indigenous groups, an agreement was made. It set up a committee to suggest ways to reduce the health risks from methylmercury.

In 2018, the committee suggested covering wetlands near the project. This would help stop methylmercury from being released. However, in 2019, it was revealed that this wetland capping would not happen. The money set aside for it was offered to Indigenous governments instead. Ball later said that wetland capping would only reduce methylmercury levels by a small amount.

Public Opinion and Support

When Dwight Ball was first elected in 2015, his public approval ratings were very high. His party won 57.2% of the votes. In February 2016, a poll showed that 60% of people approved of his work as Premier.

However, the 2016-17 budget had a big impact on his popularity. After the budget and some other issues, Ball's public support dropped quickly. A poll in May 2016 showed his approval rating was 17%. Despite this, Ball stated he would not resign. In June 2018, members of the Liberal Party voted to support his leadership.

Electoral Record

This section shows how Dwight Ball performed in various elections.

Provincial Elections