Cle Newhook

Cleophas (Cle) Newhook (June 3, 1943[1] – March 2, 2018) was a Canadian theologian, author and politician in Newfoundland.

Newhook was leader of the Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party from 1989 to 1992 but was unsuccessful in several attempts to win a seat for himself in the House of Assembly. Prior to becoming party leader he was the NDP's executive secretary as well as a candidate.[2] He became leader by defeating MHA Gene Long by a margin of 126 votes to 105 in the party's first-ever leadership convention in 1989.[3] A provincial election was held several weeks after Newhook became leader and the party lost its two seat in the face of a Liberal surge that saw NDP support drop 10 points and move to the Liberals allowing the Liberals led by Clyde Wells to defeat the Conservative government.[4] In 1990, while Newhook was leader, the NDP regained a seat in the House when Jack Harris won a by-election victory in St. John's East.[5] Newhook attempted to win a seat for himself in a 1991 by-election in Trinity North but was unsuccessful despite a strong showing.[6] In his fifth attempt to win a seat, a 1992 by-election in Ferryland, he came in third.[7] A month later, Newhook announced that he would step down as NDP leader;[8] he was succeeded by MHA Jack Harris.[9]

Outside of his political career he was a university administrator as co-ordinator of student services at Memorial University as well as the university's chaplain. He was best known for being the director of the Ocean Ranger Families Foundation, a non-profit foundation established after the 1982 oil rig disaster that killed 84 men. The foundation organized the victims' families so that they could be represented at a public inquiry and lobbied for legislative changes to prevent future oil rig disasters[2][10][11]

Newhook studied theology at the University of Oxford and spent five years as an Anglican priest in England where he directed community educational and development programs in inner cities and was chair of the British Association of Settlements and Social Action Centre.[12][13]

More recently, Newhook has been a marketing consultant and the director of Landscape Newfoundland and Labrador.[12] He served on the provincial Electoral Districts Boundary Commission in 2006.[12] In the 1989 federal NDP leadership convention Newhook backed Audrey McLaughlin's campaign.[14]

Newhook died on March 2, 2018, due to a short bout with cancer.[15][16]

  1. ^ Simpson, K. (1994). "The Canadian Who's who". Canadian Who's Who: With Which is Incorporated "Canadian Men and Women of the Time". 29. University of Toronto Press. ISSN 0068-9963. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Yaffe, Barbara, "Peckford PCs likely winners in by-elections," Globe and Mail, December 5, 1986
  3. ^ Ward, Stephen, "New leader hopes to improve Newfoundland NDP's fortunes," Globe and Mail, March 20, 1989
  4. ^ Cox, Kevin, "Newfound Liberals win majority Leader's defeat tempers victory ", Globe and Mail, April 21, 1989
  5. ^ "NDP gets toehold in Newfoundland," Kitchener-Waterloo Record, December 12, 1990
  6. ^ "Liberals score win,", Globe and Mail, February 20, 1991
  7. ^ "By-election wins," Globe and Mail, June 26, 1992
  8. ^ "Newfoundland NDP chief quits", Toronto Star, July 22, 1992
  9. ^ "New leader for Newfoundland NDP," Globe and Mail, November 16, 1992
  10. ^ Spears, John, "Miners' kin fear probe will bury truth", Toronto Star, August 26, 1992
  11. ^ "Study by oil industry on rig safety criticized," Globe and Mail, November 29, 1983
  12. ^ a b c Cle Newhook (biography) 2006 Electoral Districts Boundary Commission, Newfoundland and Labrador, accessed February 18, 2008.
  13. ^ "Newfoundland NDP elects longtime aide as new leader," Toronto Star, March 19, 1989
  14. ^ Harper, Tim, "N.S. party chief backs McLaughlin for NDP leadership", Toronto Star, November 4, 1989
  15. ^ "Former NDP leader, advocate and activist Cle Newhook has died". The Telegram. March 4, 2018. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  16. ^ "'You could always count on Cle': Former N.L. NDP leader, advocate Cle Newhook has died". CBC News. March 4, 2018. Retrieved March 18, 2018.