Derek Bennett
43rd Speaker of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
In office
April 12, 2021[1] – October 14, 2025
Preceded byScott Reid
Succeeded byPaul Lane
Minister of Environment, Climate Change, and Municipalities
In office
August 19, 2020[2] – April 8, 2021
PremierAndrew Furey
Preceded byDerrick Bragg
Succeeded byposition abolished[3]
Member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
for Lewisporte-Twillingate
In office
November 30, 2015 – October 14, 2025
Preceded byRiding Established
Succeeded byMark Butt
Personal details
PartyLiberal

Derek John Bennett is a Canadian politician, who served in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 2015 to 2025. Bennett was first elected in the 2015 provincial election.[4][5] He represented the electoral district of Lewisporte-Twillingate as a member of the Liberal Party.[4]

He was re-elected in the 2019 provincial election.[6]

Bennett was promoted to cabinet on August 19, 2020 as provincial Minister of Environment, Climate Change, and Municipalities.[7]

He was re-elected in the 2021 provincial election.[8] He was dropped from Cabinet in April 2021.[9] Bennett was elected Speaker of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly on April 12, 2021, defeating 4 other candidates.[10]

Bennett narrowly lost his seat in the 2025 provincial election. On October 24, Bennett filed for a recount with the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador.[11] On November 14, Supreme Court Justice Alphonsus Faour denied the recount.[12]

Electoral record

[edit]
2025 Newfoundland and Labrador general election: Lewisporte-Twillingate
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Mark Butt 2,570 49.30 +11.74
Liberal Derek Bennett 2,552 48.95 -13.48
New Democratic Steven Kent 76 1.46
Independent Stacy Coish 15 0.29
Total valid votes 5,213
Total rejected ballots
Turnout
Eligible voters
Progressive Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +12.61
[13]
2021 Newfoundland and Labrador general election: Lewisporte-Twillingate
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Derek Bennett 2,593 62.44 +8.44
Progressive Conservative Rhonda Lee Simms 1,560 37.56 -8.44
Total valid votes 4,153 99.50
Total rejected ballots 21 0.50
Turnout 4,174 41.06
Eligible voters 10,166
Liberal hold Swing +8.44
Source(s)
"Officially Nominated Candidates General Election 2021" (PDF). Elections Newfoundland and Labrador. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
"NL Election 2021 (Unofficial Results)". Retrieved March 27, 2021.
2019 Newfoundland and Labrador general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Derek Bennett 3,190 54.0
Progressive Conservative Krista Freake 2,717 46.0
Total valid votes
Total rejected ballots
Turnout
Eligible voters
2015 Newfoundland and Labrador general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Derek Bennett 3,254 53.88
Progressive Conservative Derrick Dalley 2,686 44.48
New Democratic Hillary Bushell 99 1.64
Total valid votes 6,039 99.74
Total rejected ballots 16 0.26
Turnout 6,055 58.41
Eligible voters 10,366
Liberal notional gain from Progressive Conservative Swing
Source: Elections Newfoundland and Labrador[14]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ @MikeConnors (April 12, 2021). "Derek Bennett has been elected..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. ^ Lindsay Bird (August 19, 2020). "New N.L. premier, new finance minister: Andrew Furey takes office and shuffles cabinet". CBC. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  3. ^ "Cabinet".
  4. ^ a b "Full list of winners in Newfoundland and Labrador election". CBC News, November 30, 2015.
  5. ^ "Liberal Jim Bennett loses nomination in new district of Lewisporte-Twillingate". CBC News, August 20, 2015.
  6. ^ "Here's the list of the winning candidates in the 2019 N.L. election". CBC News, May 17, 2019.
  7. ^ "Newfoundland and Labrador's new premier doesn't clear the deck, but he certainly shuffled it | SaltWire".
  8. ^ "Here are all the MHAs elected in the Newfoundland and Labrador election". CBC News. March 27, 2021.
  9. ^ "Premier Furey Appoints New Cabinet". Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. April 8, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  10. ^ Connors, Michael (April 12, 2021). "Premier promises provincial budget by June as Derek Bennett elected Speaker of the House". ntv.ca. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  11. ^ "Derek Bennett requests judicial recount after losing Lewisporte-Twillingate seat by 18 votes". CBC News. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  12. ^ Sarah Smellie. "Judge orders recount in Newfoundland district after last month's provincial election". Toronto Star. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
  13. ^ https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elections/newfoundland-labrador/2025/results/#/riding/27301
  14. ^ "2015 Provincial General Election Report" (PDF). Elections Newfoundland and Labrador. July 25, 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 18, 2017. Retrieved November 21, 2018.