Kathy Dunderdale facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Kathy Dunderdale
10th Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
In office December 3, 2010 – January 24, 2014
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Lieutenant Governor	John Crosbie Frank Fagan
Preceded by	Danny Williams
Succeeded by	Tom Marshall
Member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly for Virginia Waters
In office October 21, 2003 – February 28, 2014
Preceded by	Walter Noel
Succeeded by	Cathy Bennett
Minister of Natural Resources of Newfoundland and Labrador
In office July 5, 2006 – December 6, 2010
Preceded by	Ed Byrne
Succeeded by	Shawn Skinner
Deputy Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
In office October 31, 2008 – December 3, 2010
Preceded by	Tom Rideout
Succeeded by	Steve Kent
Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development of Newfoundland and Labrador
In office November 6, 2003 – July 5, 2006
Preceded by	Judy Foote
Succeeded by	Trevor Taylor
Personal details
Born	Kathleen Mary Margaret Warren February 1952 (age 73) Burin, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Political party	Progressive Conservative
Residence	St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

Kathleen Mary Margaret "Kathy" Dunderdale (born February 1952) is a Canadian politician. She was the tenth premier of Newfoundland and Labrador from December 3, 2010, to January 24, 2014. Before becoming premier, she was a Member of the House of Assembly (MHA).

Dunderdale was born and grew up in Burin. Before entering politics, she worked in community development, communications, fisheries, and social work. Her first step into politics was as a member of the Burin town council, where she was the deputy mayor. She was also a candidate for the Progressive Conservative Party (PC) in the 1993 election.

In the 2003 election, Dunderdale was elected as an MHA for Virginia Waters. She was re-elected in the 2007 and 2011 elections. She resigned from her MHA role on February 28, 2014. She served in the cabinets of Danny Williams, holding important roles like Minister of Natural Resources and Deputy Premier. Dunderdale became premier after Williams resigned. She then led her party to victory in the October 2011 election. Dunderdale was the first female premier in Newfoundland and Labrador's history. She was also the sixth woman to serve as a premier in Canada.

Early Life and Career

Kathleen Mary Margaret Warren was born and grew up in Burin, Newfoundland and Labrador. She was one of 11 children. Dunderdale finished high school in 1970. She studied social work at Memorial University of Newfoundland but left to get married. She met her husband, Captain Peter Dunderdale, in 1972. They had two children, Tom and Sarah. Kathy was a stay-at-home mom while her children were young. Later, she volunteered in many different roles.

In the early 1980s, Dunderdale helped a group that successfully stopped a fish plant in Burin from closing. She also worked as a social worker. She was part of an appeals board for fishers after the cod fishing was stopped. Dunderdale served on the Burin town council and worked with groups like the local school board. She was also president of the Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador. In 1997, she helped start Women in Resource Development Corporation (WRDC). This group helps women get involved in trades and technology in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In 1995, she and her husband moved to St. John's. Her husband passed away in 2006.

Political Journey

Dunderdale was elected to the Burin town council in 1985. She served as deputy mayor from 1989 to 1993. She also became the first female president of the provincial Federation of Municipalities.

She ran as a Progressive Conservative candidate in the 1993 provincial election. Even though she didn't win, she wanted to send a message to the premier about how municipalities were being treated.

Becoming an MHA and Minister

Dunderdale was elected to the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly in the 2003 general election. She defeated the Liberal cabinet minister Walter Noel. After the election, she joined the cabinet. She became the Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development.

In 2006, Premier Williams made Dunderdale the Minister of Natural Resources. She was re-elected in the 2007 general election. She continued as Natural Resources Minister. In 2008, Williams also appointed her as Deputy Premier. From February to March 2010, Dunderdale was the acting Premier while Williams was away for surgery.

Key Role as Natural Resources Minister

As Minister of Natural Resources, Kathy Dunderdale helped make several large development deals.

In 2008, she, Premier Williams, and oil companies signed a deal to develop the Hebron oil field. This is the second-largest oil field off the province's coast. It was expected to bring in billions of dollars and create thousands of jobs. In 2009, they also expanded the Hibernia oil field.

In 2010, Dunderdale and Premier Williams announced a big agreement to develop the first part of the Lower Churchill Project. This $6.2 billion project would develop the 824 hydro development at Muskrat Falls. Power from Labrador would be sent to the island of Newfoundland through an underwater link. Another underwater link would send power to Nova Scotia. This project would help Newfoundland and Labrador use clean energy and stop using an oil-burning power station.

Becoming Premier

On December 3, 2010, Dunderdale became Newfoundland and Labrador's tenth Premier. She took over after Williams retired. She was the first female Premier in the province's history. On December 6, 2010, she made some changes to her cabinet.

Leading the Party

After becoming premier, Dunderdale first said she would not run for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party. However, she later changed her mind. On December 30, 2010, she announced she would run for the PC Party leadership. Her entire team supported her. She was the only candidate who qualified, so she was officially named the leader on January 27, 2011. She was sworn in as leader on April 2, 2011.

The 2011 Election

On September 19, 2011, Dunderdale called a provincial election for October 11, 2011. Her party was very popular in polls. Dunderdale's party platform included continuing to freeze university tuition fees. It also aimed to replace student loans with grants for students who needed them. The platform also focused on improving health care wait times and moving forward with the Muskrat Falls hydro project.

Map showing the partisan support and margins within electoral districts

On election night, the Progressive Conservatives won 37 of the province's 48 seats. This was fewer than they had before, but still a strong majority. The Liberal Party won six seats, and the NDP won five. With this win, Dunderdale became only the third woman in Canadian history to lead a party to victory in a general election.

On October 28, 2011, Dunderdale's new cabinet was sworn in. She reduced the number of government departments and cabinet members to make the government more efficient.

Resolving Labour Disputes

When Dunderdale became premier, she faced a disagreement between the province's doctors and the government over their contracts. She quickly asked her ministers to meet with the doctors' association. By December 15, 2010, a deal was reached. This deal included better pay for doctors. As a result, most of the doctors who had resigned decided to stay.

Dunderdale also helped end a year-long strike involving 15 home care workers. Within five days of her taking office, her government reached an agreement with the workers, ending the strike.

In 2013, her government reached agreements with the province's largest public sector unions. These deals included a wage freeze for the first two years, followed by small increases.

Energy Development and Policy

A major focus of Dunderdale's time as premier was the development of the Muskrat Falls project. She worked to get support from the federal government for a loan guarantee. This guarantee would help reduce the cost of the project. On December 17, 2012, Dunderdale and Emera Inc. officially approved the Muskrat Falls hydro development.

Dunderdale also promoted the idea of a national energy plan for Canada. This plan would include an east-west power grid across the country. She believed provinces should work together on economic development.

Changes in Education

Dunderdale's government reorganized some departments. Post-secondary education became part of a new Department of Advanced Education and Skills. This department also handled apprenticeships and advanced studies. The Department of Education focused on K-12 schooling and libraries.

K-12 Education

In 2013, Dunderdale's government announced that the province's four English school boards would combine into one. This change was made because student numbers had gone down. The government faced some criticism but moved forward with the plan. They also made some budget cuts in the Department of Education. However, they said there would be no cuts to regular classroom teachers.

Post-Secondary Education

Since 2003, the Progressive Conservative government had frozen tuition fees at public colleges and universities. This made Newfoundland and Labrador have the lowest tuition fees in Canada. In her 2011 election plan, Dunderdale promised to continue this freeze. She also planned to replace student loans with grants for students who needed financial help.

The 2013 budget included a plan to review Memorial University and the College of the North Atlantic (CNA). The budget also cut funding to CNA and changed some of its programs. For example, the Adult Basic Education (ABE) program, which helps adults get their high school equivalency, was moved out of CNA and into private or non-profit organizations.

Financial Management

During the time before Dunderdale became premier, the province's economy grew a lot, mainly because of the offshore oil industry. The province started having large budget surpluses. However, government spending also increased.

Dunderdale's first budget saw spending increase. It focused on things like infrastructure, health care, and social programs. The budget also included tax credits and rebates for home heating fuel. The province's debt was expected to increase due to some long-term financial commitments. However, later updates showed larger surpluses, which helped reduce the debt.

In 2012, Dunderdale said that the time of big spending was over. She aimed to control public spending and reduce the province's debt. The 2012 budget, however, still saw a small increase in spending. It also predicted a deficit due to lower oil production.

In January 2013, Dunderdale made changes to her cabinet. Jerome Kennedy, known as a tough negotiator, became the Finance Minister. He warned that the province could face a large deficit if spending was not controlled. The 2013 budget included spending cuts and the elimination of about 1,200 public sector jobs.

Fisheries Policy

During Dunderdale's time as premier, there were many changes in the Fisheries portfolio. Several different ministers held the role.

In February 2011, Dunderdale's government rejected a report that suggested a major reduction in the fishing industry. The report called for a lot of money to be spent on cuts, which the government felt was too expensive.

During the 2011 election, Dunderdale said there were too many people fishing and too many fish processing plants. She believed some plants would need to close. After the election, she shuffled her cabinet, and a new minister took over the Fisheries portfolio.

In 2012, the government stopped funding the Fish, Food and Allied Workers union (FFAW). The minister said this was because the union often criticized the government.

Minimum Processing Rules

Fish caught off Newfoundland and Labrador must be processed to a certain level in provincial plants. This is called Minimum Processing Requirements (MPRs). The goal is to create jobs and economic benefits in the province.

In 2011, a company called Ocean Choice International (OCI) said they were losing money operating their fish plants. They asked the government for permission to export unprocessed fish. In return, they would create more jobs at their plant in Fortune. After negotiations, the government initially rejected the idea. However, in December 2012, the government allowed OCI to ship some of its fish overseas for processing. In return, OCI promised 236 year-round jobs at their plant and on their vessels.

Trade Agreement with Europe

MPRs also became an issue in the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA). Dunderdale said that the federal government tried to pressure her to remove MPRs to help secure the trade deal. She refused to link the two issues.

In October 2013, the government announced its support for the CETA agreement. This deal would remove MPRs for the European Union three years after the deal was approved. In exchange, high taxes and limits on almost all fish products would be removed on the first day CETA came into effect. Dunderdale said her government fought for this arrangement. They believed that even without MPRs, European countries would not be able to compete with Newfoundland and Labrador fish plants due to higher costs.

Later in October 2013, Dunderdale announced that the federal and provincial governments would invest $400 million into the fishery. This money was compensation for removing the minimum processing requirements for the European Union. The money would be used for things like research, marketing, and infrastructure.

Access to Information

In June 2012, Dunderdale's government introduced a new law called Bill 29. This law changed how people could get information from the government. Critics said it made it harder to access information. They argued it would keep some government discussions secret and allow officials to ignore requests they thought were "frivolous." The bill also increased fees for requests. Many people protested the bill.

A long-time MHA, Tom Osborne, left the PC Party because of Bill 29. He said he did not support the bill, even though he voted for it. After this, Dunderdale changed her cabinet. The minister responsible for Bill 29 was moved to a different role. Dunderdale also created the Office of Public Engagement. This office would help with communication and access to information.

Office of Public Engagement

The Office of Public Engagement was set up in October 2012. It included different departments that work with the public. The minister responsible for this office announced that restaurant inspection reports would be put online for the public to see. This was a change that many people had asked for.

However, a media investigation found that after Bill 29, some government departments stopped releasing full details about employee bonuses. The government said this was not a change due to Bill 29.

Personal Security

In February 2011, Dunderdale's office announced that police bodyguards were protecting her. This was due to several incidents since she became premier. The police felt it was necessary to assign security. Dunderdale said she respected the police's decision but could not comment on the specific reasons for the security.

Public Opinion

During her time as premier, support for Dunderdale and her government slowly went down. When she first became premier, polls showed very high satisfaction with the PC government. Many people also thought Dunderdale was the best choice for premier.

By the time of the 2011 election, support had fallen slightly, but her party still had a strong lead. After the election, her personal approval numbers continued to decline. By November 2012, fewer people thought Dunderdale was the best choice for premier.

In March 2013, a poll showed that the New Democrats had more support than the Progressive Conservatives. This was the first time more people were unhappy with the government's performance than satisfied. An April 2013 poll showed Dunderdale was one of the most unpopular premiers in Canada.

By May 2013, support for Dunderdale and her party continued to drop. However, towards the end of 2013, satisfaction with her government increased. The Liberal Party gained a large lead in polls.

Resignation

On January 22, 2014, Kathy Dunderdale announced she would resign as Premier on January 24, 2014. She said, "Just as you know when it's time to step up, you also know when it is time to step back, and that time for me is now." This announcement came after a PC MHA joined the Liberal Party and months of low poll numbers.

Her Finance Minister, Tom Marshall, became the interim premier. On February 28, 2014, Dunderdale resigned as the MHA for Virginia Waters. This ended her ten-and-a-half-year career in provincial politics. She later returned to community work.

Electoral Record