House of Assembly
Newfoundland and Labrador
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Newfoundland and Labrador
Video: History of the Governance of Newfoundland and Labrador
As a result of a reform movement in the 1820s, the Colony of Newfoundland was first granted representative government in 1832. The Assembly consisted of 15 Members from nine electoral districts. The Governor and Legislative Council (Upper House) were appointed by the Crown. In 1855, Newfoundland was granted responsible government. The House of Assembly was increased to 29 Members (from 15 electoral districts), and the Cabinet became responsible to the Assembly. Prior to this, the appointed Legislative Council was the Cabinet and was not responsible to the Assembly.
The Dominion's first prime minister was Philip Francis Little.
Prime Ministers from 1855 to 1934
The deteriorating financial situation of the Dominion in the 1930s resulted in a commission of inquiry (Amulree Royal Commission), which recommended that responsible government be suspended and governance be given over to an appointed commission. In December 1933, after 78 years of responsible government, the Newfoundland House of Assembly effectively voted itself out of existence. The arrangement was meant to be brief, but it lasted for 15 years.
Official Inauguration of the Commission of Government of Newfoundland, 16 February 1934. The Rooms Provincial Archives Division, A 2-141.
In 1946, Newfoundlanders went to the polls to elect Members of a National Convention who would assemble at Colonial Building in St. John’s to debate options for governance.
Members Elected to the National Convention
By 1948, the preferred options were recommended; two referenda later, Confederation with Canada was chosen by a small majority of the population. On March 31, 1949, Newfoundland (renamed Newfoundland and Labrador in 2001) became Canada's 10th province.
The first Premier following confederation was Joseph R. Smallwood.
The Newfoundland National Convention, 1946. Archives and Special Collections Division, Memorial University of Newfoundland, COLL-075, 5.05.272.
The first House of Assembly met on January 1, 1833, at a tavern and lodging house located on Duckworth Street in St. John's. It met at three more locations (the former Court House on Duckworth Street; a building on Water Street and the former St. Patrick’s Hall on Queen’s Road) before moving to the Colonial Building in 1850, Newfoundland’s first purpose-built Legislature. The House of Assembly continued to meet there until 1960 when it moved to the 9th and 10th floors of the Confederation Building. In 1991, the House of Assembly opened for the first time in its present location, on the main floor of the Confederation Building.
Map of the early locations of the House of Assembly
Gaining the right for women to vote Newfoundland and Labrador was an arduous process. In March 1891, 50 women marched to Colonial Building to present 27 petitions for their cause. Women's suffrage was considered in the House of Assembly twice in the late 1800s, and defeated both times.
In 1909, a group of women, banned from attending the men’s Reading Room, met at Armine Gosling's home & began the Ladies' Reading Room & Current Events Club. Other members included Janet Ayre, Mary Southcott, Myra Campbell & Fannie Knowling McNeil. This was one of the earliest suffragist groups in the province, a movement that would help pave the way for women to gain the right to vote in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Women's Franchise Movement. Centre for Newfoundland Studies, Memorial University of Newfoundland, COLL-158, 8.11.
When the issue of the social and economic importance of women’s work and their entitlement to the franchise returned for consideration in 1925, the House of Assembly was finally persuaded by the arguments and passed amendments allowing women the right to vote.
Born in Little Bay Islands, Lady Helena E. Squires (1879-1959) was the first woman to campaign for and win a seat in the House of Assembly as representative for Lewisporte district from 1930 to 1932.
Sir R.A. Squires and Lady Helena Squires. The Rooms Provincial Archives Division, VA 157-89.
Hazel McIsaac, the first woman elected to the House post-confederation in 1975, represented the St. George’s district. The MV Hazel McIsaac was named in her honour.
Western Star, December 18, 2012.
Furthermore, Newfoundland and Labrador has the honour and distinction of having the first woman Clerk of any legislature or parliament in Canada. Ms. Bettie Duff (pictured 3rd from right) became Clerk in 1977 and held that position until 1991.
The Speaker’s Parade with the Hon. Len Simms as Speaker, and Clerk Elizabeth Duff.