(February 8, 2021) – : PC Leader Ches Crosbie and Mount Pearl North PC candidate Jim Lester say Andrew Furey must answer the following 14 questions immediately.

“Andrey Furey called this election to advance the interests of the Liberal Party and now the people of Newfoundland and Labrador are living with the consequences,” said Crosbie. “Andrew Furey must be straight with the voters today.”
Lester agrees with Crosbie.

“People are worried,” said Lester. “It didn’t have to be this way, but the Liberals rushed into this unnecessary election because they’re desperate for a majority. Andrew Furey needs to own up for this bad decision and answer our questions right now.”

1) Do you stand by your prior assertion that now is the safest time to hold the provincial election?

2) What evidence did you have that now was the safest time to hold a provincial election? Please show your evidence.

3) Do you know how many people will be denied their right to vote due to this election being held during the COVID-19 pandemic?

4) Why did you decide to go against the decision of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to wait until the population was vaccinated before holding the election?

5) Why didn’t you reconvene the all-party public health response committee to discuss a scenario like the one before us?

6) How can you assure the people of Newfoundland and Labrador that schools are the safest place to vote now that we have seen outbreaks in the hallways of schools in our province?

7) How many people in Newfoundland and Labrador have been vaccinated in the last week? How many since the election was called? How many will be vaccinated by Election Day?

8) How many laptops have been distributed to students throughout the province? How can the school curriculum continue under these circumstances?

9) What will you tell the seniors and other vulnerable populations in our province who are concerned about the potential for COVID-19 exposure as they cast their vote?

10) Has contact tracing info been received, including phone numbers, for everyone who has cast their ballot in-person so far in this election?

11) How can you justify the Liberal bus making campaign stops in the Mount Pearl area on Sunday when you knew there were positive cases in the area?

12) Why did you choose to campaign in Mount Pearl knowing hundreds of people were self-isolating and knowing that presumptive cases in a local school?

13) Why did you decide that now, five days before the final voting day and for the first time during this election, to have politicians join the public briefing?

14) Will you apologize to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador for creating this high-risk situation and expecting people to vote in the middle of pandemic?

Contacts:

David Maher

Director of Communications

(p) (709) 769-2216

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