Hi folks, The summer tour on the island has been great. This past leg I’ve met with all kinds of community leaders including mayors, councillors, people doing great work in community groups, labour, businesses, youth, seniors, and more. It’s really been interesting to hear what communities are doing to develop sustainable economies and to enhance the livability of their towns. It was great to see the willingness to work together with all levels of government. People are proposing solutions that would work for their communities, Gambo, Gander, Eastport, Glovertown, Lewisporte, Springdale, and Little Bay. Participating in Gambo Days, Winterset, the Mussel Bed Soiree, made it possible to meet a lot of folks. Many were really happy to see the NDP represented at their event. It continues to strike me how stunningly beautiful our province is.
Here's where I'm going next. If I'm going to be in your area let me know if you want to meet! Just email info@nl.ndp.ca. Wednesday, August 15, 2018 to Saturday, August 18 – Woody Point
Heading to the west coast for Writers at Woody Point! You can catch me at the evening events starting tonight. You can view the complete Writers at Woody Point schedule here.
Looking forward to visiting Cow Head for their garden party Thursday afternoon.
If you're in the area let me know!
Monday, August 21 to Saturday, August 25 – St. John's and Avalon
So looking forward to attending events and seeing people in my district of St. John's Centre as well as a few day trips around the Avalon.
Check out all the photos and follow along through the Facebook album here. You can also follow by Twitter and search #GerrysSummerTour2018 Get in touch if you see I'm coming to your community! Email info@nl.ndp.ca.
Looking forward to seeing you,
Gerry Rogers Leader, NL NDP
Meet the Executive Committee
We are profiling our Executive. Meet Paul and Mona!
A long-time social activist with a close association with the late Brother Jim McSheffrey, Paul became provincial secretary of the NL NDP in June of 2016. He was re-elected in 2018. He is currently the vice-chair of the Catherine Donnelly Foundation, a granting charitable organization which funds social justice initiatives in housing, adult education, and the environment. One recipient in Newfoundland and Labrador is Choices for Youth.
Paul is a well-known actor, writer, and teacher. He was the 2017 recipient of the Winterset Award. He frequently uses his pen to call to account those who love to see business as usual in NL politics. He believes in all sorts of activism but holds that political activism is a necessary and legitimate road to change. As long as people surrender the halls of power to those who protect the status quo, we will never see the real change we need in Newfoundland and Labrador, or, for that matter, in Canada. The NDP, provincially and federally, must continue to work for progressive policies which will build a better province and make a stronger Canada. Paul hails from the rural coastal community of Point Verde, Placentia Bay.
I take politics pretty seriously. It's more than a game to be played by a select few, more than winners and losers every four years. I believe in the enormous potential of collective action for the common good. That belief motivated me to become a candidate for the NL NDP in the district of Ferryland in 2015. I sought election to the NL NDP Executive in 2016, and took on the role of Chief of Staff in our Caucus office in 2016-2017. I was re-elected to the Provincial Executive and the Federal Council in 2018.
And if collective action helps to make change, what better collective than a political party hell bent on creating a more fair, inclusive society. The values of the NDP drew me in; the work of our MHAs, DAs, Caucus staff, NDP members, and community activists keep me motivated and hopeful. I credit my political and social justice awareness to my parents – who raised a family of all girls, six of us – to pay attention to the world around us and participate in whatever ways we could to make it better. I attended Memorial University earning a B. A., Political Science/Business and an M.A., Political Science. To date, I’ve had a 25-year career collaborating to deliver results in the non-profit, public, and private sectors. I indulge my passion for the outdoors by hiking the beautiful East Coast Trail and contributing as a board member for several years. Dear to my heart are my twin sister and siblings, my girlfriends, the 100-year-old saltbox family home in Calvert that I restored, and my talented husband Paul Rowe (not necessarily in that order).