'I'm ready,' says Premier Dwight Ball after supporters lose push to delay leadership review

Premier Dwight Ball says he is ready for a leadership reviewafter an attempt by his supporters within the Liberal executive to delay next year's leadership review until 2021 failed.

"I'm ready to have one this weekend if they wanted to," said Ball.

At a meeting of the executive of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador on Tuesday,the party solidly voted to keep the leadership review likely the weekend of June 12, 2020 instead of overriding the party's constitution and buying the premier more time.

The executive consists ofmemberswho make decisionsfor the Liberal Party ofNewfoundland and Labrador.

That proposal to delay the leadership review was rejected by a vote of 13-3.

After thedefeat,Ball loyalists attempted to compromise by recommending a date in the latter part of 2020, sometime after June,but that, too, was rejected.

When asked why his loyalists would push for a delay, Ball said, "I wasn't at that table ... certainly not [made] on my request at all."

"I'm ready for the review in February ...I'm not afraid of reviews," Ball told Here & Now's Anthony Germain Thursday evening in an year-end interview.

Sources tell CBC Newsthe decision to not delay or reschedule the leadership review is an indication that Ball's clout is diminishing and that the party wants to hold him to account after returning to power in May with a minority government.

The move to reschedule the leadership review was pursued, even though a legal opinion was presented to the executive that said it was not permitted, as per the party's constitution.

Ball is not the only leader who will face a leadership review in 2020.

In November, Progressive Conservative Leader Ches Crosbie announced he would open himself up to a leadership review sometime next spring.

The budget

For next year's provincial budget, Ball said he isn't worried about potentially facing the polls if the budget doesn't pass in the House in March.

"If the opposition parties decided that they want an election based on our budget, we'll go to the people of this province," hesaid.

"Instead of letting 40 people decide, we'll let some 500,000 people decide on what the future is for Newfoundland and Labrador."

Troublesome few months for cabinet

Cabinet stability has been an issue that has persisted over the last several months.

Most recently, Advanced Education, Skills and Labour Minister Christopher Mitchelmoreended up apologizing for his role in the hiring of Carla Foote daughter of Lt.-Gov. Judy Foote to a senior position at The Rooms without a competitive process.

The ordeal waswas detailed in the scathing Mitchelmore Report,written by the Office of the Citizens' Representative and forwarded to Bruce Chaulk, the commissioner for legislative standards, whorecommendeda reprimand for the embattled minister.

Mitchelmore voted against his party on a motion to impose punishment, which also included a two-week suspension without pay. Ball said Mitchelmore would remain in cabinet because he was a young minister who had simply made a mistake.

After several days of defending Mitchelmore in the House of Assembly, and ahead of the apology, Ball described Mitchelmore as "aloyal soldier."

Last month, several days of House of Assembly business was dominated byFisheries Minister Gerry Byrne,for injecting racial accusations into a debate about 2.6 million dead farmedsalmon.

Byrne had accused NDP MHA Jim DinnofmarginalizingIndigenous leaders who have said climate change was a factor in the die-off, because he questioned it and that Dinn had a pattern of such behaviour, according to Byrne.

There was no evidential basis for his comments.

Byrneeventually withdrew those comments in the House of Assembly, but did not apologize.

In September,Perry Trimper resigned from the environment and municipalities portfolio after a phone call between Trimper and an unidentified woman was accidentally left on the voicemail ofDomenic Rich, anexecutive assistant of the Innu Nation.

In the conversation, which came as a result of Trimper not hanging up or ending the initial call, he and the woman talk about providing a translator for vehicle registration services.

Trimper said: "It's not their God-given right to provide service" and "the racecard comes up all the time."

Trimpersubsequently apologized.

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