The Tories have a new leader in this province.

Tony Wakeham was elected PC leader this afternoon, and will lead the party into the next provincial general election.

David Brazil had been interim leader since March 2021. 

The MHA for Stephenville-Port au Port and the party’s current finance critic, it was Wakeham’s second attempt at becoming leader after losing to Ches Crosbie in 2018.

Today, though, he was the clear winner, defeating two other quality candidates – Terra Nova MHA Lloyd Parrott, the first to toss his name in the ring, and Eugene Manning, the businessman from St. Bride’s who previously served as the party’s president.

Wakeham led after the first ballot with 1,816 points, while Manning was second with 1,636 and Parrott was third with 548. As no candidate had a clear majority, Parrott dropped off the ballot and his supporters’ second choice votes were redistributed to the other two candidates. On the second ballot, Wakeham won with 2,091 points to Manning’s 1,909.

Wakeman brings much to the role through his vast volunteer work, the public service and private sector. He has lived and worked in many of Newfoundland and Labrador’s communities throughout his career – from Labrador to the island, from the Great Northern Peninsula to the Avalon, from the northeast coast to central, to the west coast. He graduated from Memorial University with a degree in economics, and completed further studies in Health Services Management.

Wakeham has an extensive public service career. He last held the position of CEO, Labrador-Grenfell Health Authority; was an Assistant Deputy Minister of Health and Community Services; and worked in the Department of Finance and Office of the Auditor General. He was also a former president of a private food service business.