NTV - CJON - Saturday, May 25, 2024 - 05:30 a.m. (ET) - Segment #1

ben cleary, as you will have known or have seen all this week is on assignment in france. So filling in this week is a very special guest. Mike connors is back. Welcome back. >> Thank you. Glad to be back. And you're back just in time because there was some pretty major breaking political news today. Tom osborne, of course announced that he's going to be retiring after more than 28 years in the house. I'm sure you've covered him in the house for a very long time. >> So what are your thoughts today? Well, toni, this was nothing short of a political bombshell in what was already a busy political week. I mean we've got a by election in green bay coming up monday. Controversies involving two of the candidates, their investigations into leaks of legislation in the house. And this one just kind of was the cherry on top of this sunday at the end of the week today. Tom osborne it really, you know, an amazing political career to look back on. You know, he went into politics with the tories back in 1996. And you know, he served in the first term with the danny williams government in the cabinet from 2003 to 2007. Then he got left out of cabinet with the after danny williams second election campaign in 2007 and kind of languished on the backbenches for a while and eventually quit the tories. Well kathy dunderdale was premier but then he found new political life when he crossed the floor initially as an independent and then went and joined the liberals. And he found his way back into the political limelight. He was elected as speaker and then served in multiple cabinet portfolios under dwight ball and andrew furey. He kind of became known during those years as a bit of a political fixer. He was the guy who would go in to sort of put out fires and you know, departments that were undergoing controversy. You know and I mean and certainly I spent 16 years covering the legislature for ntv. I saw lots of politicians come and go in that time but not tom osborne. He was there before I went into the press gallery. He was there still when I left the press gallery. So definitely a remarkable career in that sense for, you know, as a year and a half ago setting the record as the longest serving mha since confederation. >> And he seems to be very well liked to by by everyone. What comes next now with his district of waterford valley? >> Yeah, that's very interesting because now we got a fourth by election is going to have to happen this year of course. The next one is on monday. Once he officially resigns in july, then the clock the three month clock will start ticking on another by election unless the government decides to call the general election before that. But I think the interesting thing I mean all those years he served waterford valley it is right now before that it was saint john's south. The district boundaries changed a number of times. But that during that time in that district it wasn't a tory district, it wasn't a liberal district, it was a tom osborne district whether he was tory, liberal or independent that district always backed him. So that's that's going to be a fascinating seat to fill after 28 years with the same image. It's going to be you know it's it's getting back into an urban district once again on the kind of the south side of st john's after the last two by elections have been rural. But it'll be very interesting to see who the parties put up for that one. All right. Well thank you very much for this, michael. I'll see you in a few minutes. >> See you then. First edition across the province. >> It's good news for locals and tourists alike. The historic mallard cottage reopened to the public on thursday. The iconic establishment is back. New owner blair mackintosh and his team took over that historic building in captivity village after the previous owners put the spot up for sale in january. The official ribbon cutting started off with started off the day with guests now welcome to come celebrate the start of the season and the beginning of mallard's new journey. And that is ntv news first edition for this friday and for this week. I'm toni marie wiseman. Thank you so much for joining us. >> The ntv evening news hour starts right now. >> Tonight on the ntv evening news, our political bombshell tom osborne is leaving politics after 28 years. >> So it's taken a lot of thought gone into my decision to retire. >> Ffa w president greg pretty also plans to retire as the election race to succeed him heats up. >> First of all I'm retiring. And so I my my last day will be november 19th. >> And ndtv's ben cleary continues his coverage on the trail of the caribou in france. >> It's scary to me to be here. Difficult to talk about. Looking at some rain showers and areas of rain still on the go across most of newfoundland and labrador this evening. >> We'll talk about your weekend forecast shortly. >> On the tv evening news hour,

the award winning evening news hour with toni marie wiseman, michael connors and chief meteorologist eddie shearer. >> Good evening. We begin tonight with major breaking political news. >> Health minister tom osborne dropped a bombshell today announcing he's retiring from politics. While the political veteran will leave office in july bringing his record 28 year career in the house of assembly to an end. Ntv's bailey howard joins us live with tonight's top story. >> Bailey hi, toni and michael. That's right. This was big news for everybody today including media, including viewers at home and including chase would sit alongside tom osborne in the house of assembly who also found out this news during the announcement this afternoon. >> I'm going to try not to get emotional after almost three decades nine premiers serving as a cabinet minister for two governments and countless portfolios. >> Tom osborne is calling it a career. How do you tell a family member that they're leaving the family just hours ago. >> In a hastily called news conference at the house of assembly, the province's longest serving mha since confederation made it official . >> The premier has asked me to stay until sometime in july so I'll continue as minister of health for some time yet. >> We still have some files that we're working on and need to conclude a 28 year veteran of the house of assembly. His family joined him for the announcement including his mother sheila, who spent 14 years in the legislator as a tory mp for st john's west working alongside her son until she retired in 2011. >> I got elected before my mother and I remember my mom calling me to say I think I'm going to run in the upcoming byelection. What do you think of that? And I said I think it's a wonderful idea, sheila. And she said, did you just call me sheila? I said if you run for politics I'm not calling you ma'am. >> So I can now call her mom again. The pair once known as mom and tom were no strangers to political campaigns. His dad tom senior, a former city councilor in the 1980s. Both my parents were mentors throughout my political career. >> He was first elected as a pc member back in 1996. A party stalwart and high ranking minister under premier danny williams. He'd leave the tories under kathy dunderdale for leadership in 2011 sitting as an independent before joining the liberals. Since then he served as speaker of the house, then returned to cabinet in many key portfolios from finance to justice, education and to his current role as health minister. >> Health has been challenging not only because of the number of hours that it is required but it takes you away from being one on one with constituents as well and I found that a little challenging over the last couple of years because anybody who knows me I am a constituent representative first and foremost. >> It is the end of an era for one of the province's most recognizable ministers a name synonymous with politics. >> And now a new chapter. I have thoughts on what's next . But you know, I think I'll I'll continue writing this chapter before I open the next chapter. You know, I can say that most of the conversations around my family my parents dinner table one is either curling or politics. Not necessarily in that order. I think I will remain interested and focused on politics in this province. Whatever I do next. >> Politics never leaves your blood. >> So that was some big news for a friday afternoon. And while there were some questions about the timing while premier interfere is in france, premier interfering did know about the news of tom osborne resigning since march. He was one of the only ones besides the close family of the minister. He says his staff found out just before this announcement and his fellow inmates found out that news when it was announced to the media this afternoon. >> Michael, thank you very much, bailey. That's ndtv's bailey howard reporting live for us this evening. And we have another retirement to tell you about. Greg pretty is not seeking reelection as ffa president. There were three candidates running to replace him but yesterday bill broderick withdrew and endorsed a fishery scientist abe solberg who is running against union executive member duane street. Greg pretty said today he is not putting his name in the ring as he is set to retire later this year and says he has not decided which candidate he'll be backing. >> First of all I'm retiring.

and so my my last day will be november 19th of this year. >> There's an election in place. >> And despite all the brouhaha you've heard over the last couple of years, I've been there for 16 months. >> I think I've said I've changed the tone. I've put more emphasis on this fishery than than a lot of people because we have two staff people running for the president the highest positions it's local. >> So I'm not it's not known at this point. But we don't know who's running. We know two people came out publicly. >> I don't know if there's anybody else in the hopper so we'll just park that for the time being. >> The province has announced a new loan program to help fish harvesters access financing. As ndtv's beth penney tells us as part of today's announcement, government has also agreed to cover the down payment portion for successful applicants. The province announced $15 million today for a new harvester enterprise loan program. >> Under this program harvesters can get financing for things like vessel construction or refit or refinancing loans owed to fish processors. >> And that $50 million will see $10 million for the loan component of it that will support the old was $3 million and that's going to $4 million for enterprise loans loans for enterprises and for the vessel part. >> The old program was 2 million. That's now moving to 3 million. Fisheries minister elvis loveless says he believes the highlight of friday's announcement for harvesters will be the down payment portion of the program. $10 million is available to support down payment requirements as well as $5 million for interest payment requirements 50 percent up to a maximum of $450,000. >> No interest on that component piece which we believe is a big piece for the borrower and I refer to as harvester and the other piece is the potential component is rebate and that's on the other portion up and above the $450,000 down payment piece. If they honor their their payments this program will be open to applicants in early july of this year. Ffa w president greg petty says it's something his members have been wanting for some time and says this loan program will give harvesters the chance to restore stability in the fishery as well as hopefully entice young harvesters to join the industry. >> As the minister said, we have talked about in the last six months about the loan board a true loan board that would assist her research not only in engines and remodeling but in for new entrances fishery. This loan board will now accept loans and the risk that comes from young harvesters so it'll be a great boost to this fishery when the program opens to applicants in july. Then the province will release updated program guidelines as well as application instructions for harvesters. >> Beth penney news. Police have arrested two teenage boys in connection with an assault at a torbay field party last saturday. On may 18th, shortly before 2 A.M. officers responded to a report of an assault at a gathering near the torbay bypass road road. Officers found an injured teen being treated by paramedics. The teen was taken to hospital for more medical support. To date two teenage boys aged 15 and 16 have been charged with assault causing bodily harm and assault with a weapon. Police are reminding parents to speak with their children about attending high school graduation parties without using alcohol or drugs. >> Tomorrow is the day the unknown soldier finally comes home. Today's ceremonies began in a spot where newfoundlanders played a decisive role in capturing a german position. Ntv's ben cleary has more now from france. >> It was here a go to court three months after the battle of beaumont hamel that the newfoundland regiment once again found itself marching through the mud at the sun. One historian said here today that it was at beaumont hamel that newfoundlanders learned how to die. But it was here go to court that they learned how to fight. This is the french countryside . A big sky with windmills reaching for it. Farmland as far as the eye can see. >> And nestled in it all is the to court caribou. It was here where the germans surrendered hill to trench an important stronghold to the newfoundland regiment. Many of our men had to engage in close range combat brutal warfare to claim victory. And in some measure for the men of the regiment the losses of beaumont hamel had been avenged . >> But the regiment's success

Copyright protected and owned by broadcaster. Your licence is limited to private, internal, non-commercial use. All reproduction, broadcast, transmission or other use of this work is strictly prohibited.

Transcripts