Party will take advantage of ‘luxury of time’
“I’ve been to half-a-dozen of these conventions in my time as a New Democrat, and I’ve got to say, between the provincial election and the candidates who ran for us during that provincial election and this convention, we’ve got a pretty deep bench.” Kyle Rees
Two months later, she helped increase the party’s seat count from two to three, claiming the NDP stronghold of St. John’s East-quidi Vidi for herself to join fellow political newcomers Jim Dinn (St. John’s Centre) and Jordan Brown (Labrador West) in the House of Assembly.
The news for Coffin wasn’t so good in this year’s March election, where she lost a close battle to Liberal John Abbott by only 53 votes. The election itself was plagued by controversy over Election NL’S changes to the voting process in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and Coffin later failed in an attempt to get a recount for her riding via a court challenge.
Coming out of the convention — the first held in a number of years for the NDP — Rees said he felt energized by conversations that took place over the weekend.
“I’ve been to half a dozen of these conventions in my time as a New Democrat, and I’ve got to say, between the provincial election and the candidates who ran for us during that provincial election and this convention, we’ve got a pretty deep bench,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of really good, energized, and in particular, young people ... that have gotten involved ... Some people that I’ve known for some time and sort of always hoped they’d come forward and get involved in the party at an executive level, and now they’re doing it.”
The result of the last provincial election — a Liberal majority government — would also indicate the NDP has more time to prepare for the next one. The spring election in 2021 came less than two years after the previous one.
“We haven’t had the luxury of time in a while,” Rees said, adding the next three years will be dedicated to building up the party ahead of the next election.