Wakeham releases one mandate letter for all PC cabinet ministers

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Tony Wakeham has released a single mandate letter for each of his 13 cabinet ministers.

Breaking with convention, which typically sees premiers of the province issue individual mandate letters to each of their cabinet ministers, on Monday Wakeham took a page out of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s playbook when he released a single mandate letter by which he expects cabinet ministers to abide by.

“As Premier, it is my job to set a clear and responsible course for our government,” Wakeham writes in the letter. “As members of my Cabinet, I expect you to ground your decisions in the commitments and principles detailed in our 2025 Election Platform, For All of Us.”

The Progressive Conservatives’ election platform has been praised for its bold commitments in areas like healthcare, education and transportation. It has also come under fire from opposition parties who say the PCs didn’t accurately cost their promises. Last month, the party fulfilled its promise to improve staffing for 24-hour snow clearing, a move the government projects will cost $3 million, 58 per cent more than the $1.9 million it estimated in its platform released just weeks earlier.

“This document is a four-year roadmap that not only articulates our vision but also defines the standard against which our performance will be measured,” Wakeham says in the letter. “Each of you will find obligations within that platform that relate to your mandate, and I expect you to work closely with your Cabinet colleagues and the public service to deliver on these commitments.”

Despite the broad approach to the mandate letters, the premier singled out some of the PC’s key election priorities. “We must always remain laser focused on what matters most: better healthcare, lower taxes, and safer communities,” he writes, before naming a major contingency: “Delivering on these commitments will, in part, depend on us executing a vigorous economic development agenda that will ensure the resources of our province are developed by Newfoundlanders and Labradorians for the benefit of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.”

A former CEO of one of the province’s regional health authorities, Wakeham made big commitments on healthcare in the party platform. The PCs promised to “make sure anyone can see a nurse practitioner for free, with no strings attached,” recruit nurse practitioners and doctors, expand enrollment capacities in the province’s medical and nursing schools, and provide paid work terms for students studying to be “nurses, teachers, social workers, and more.”

The PCs also promised to “fully cover the costs of traveling for essential care” when services are not available in patients’ regions, and to negotiate with Ottawa “to secure a national pharmacare program that lowers the cost of prescription drugs and diabetic supplies.”

Wakeham also notes in his letter that, “as part of our new standard for transparency, we will launch an independent review of the Churchill River MOU [and] make the findings public and ensure that citizens’ voices are heard when it comes time to make a decision on future direction.”

The premier also reiterates the PC’s commitment to accountability, saying he and his MHAs “were elected to be honest, open, and accountable.

“I expect that each of you maintain the highest level of ethics and integrity,” he continues. “I expect each of you to treat our Cabinet confidences with discretion while treating caucus colleagues, public servants and members of the public with respect. I expect each of us to exercise fiscal responsibility along with a steadfast focus on results. Finally, before making any decision, I expect you to ask the most important question: Will this help the people of Newfoundland and Labrador?”

Read Premier Tony Wakeham’s full mandate letter: