John Abbott is a
Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
politician
A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
who was elected to the
Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly () is the Unicameralism, unicameral deliberative assembly of the General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It meets in the Confederation Bu ...
in the
2021 provincial election. He defeated the leader of the provincial
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party (NDP; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic:
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(NDP),
Alison Coffin, to represent the electoral district of
St. John's East-Quidi Vidi as a member of the
Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Background
Prior to being elected, Abbott served as the executive director of the Newfoundland and Labrador chapter of the
Canadian Mental Health Association. Abbott was also Deputy Minister of Health in the
Williams and
Ball
A ball is a round object (usually spherical, but sometimes ovoid) with several uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used for s ...
administrations.
Between 1989 and 1999, Abbott held a number of other senior positions: Assistant Secretary to the Treasury Board, Associate Deputy Minister of Health and Community Services, chairman and CEO of the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation, Deputy Minister of Works, Services and Transportation and Deputy Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs.
Politics
In
2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
, Abbott ran for the leadership of the provincial Liberal party following the pending resignation of
Dwight Ball. He lost the two-way race to frontrunner
Andrew Furey. Abbott subsequently ran in the 2021 provincial election as the Liberal candidate in St. John's East-Quidi Vidi and narrowly defeated incumbent MHA and provincial NDP leader Alison Coffin. Coffin filed for a recount, but it was rejected by Supreme Court Justice Donald Burrage, who argued that the evidence was not sufficient to justify the process. Abbott was subsequently sworn in as MHA on May 18, 2021.
Prior to his swearing-in, Abbott was appointed Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development on April 8, 2021. He later became the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure on June 14, 2023. On July 19, 2024, he was appointed as Minister of Housing and Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.
When Premier Furey announced his pending resignation in 2025, Abbott resigned his cabinet positions and ran for the Liberal leadership in the
ensuing election.
On June 11, 2025, Abbott resigned his seat in the
House of Assembly
House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level.
Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible g ...
. He did this to avoid a legal battle stemming from the disputed results in the
St. John's East-Quidi Vidi riding.
Election results
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abbott, John
Living people
Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador MHAs
Members of the Executive Council of Newfoundland and Labrador
20th-century births
21st-century members of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly