Derek Bennett
Canadian politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
Derek Bennett | |
|---|---|
| |
| 43rd Speaker of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly | |
| In office April 12, 2021[1] – October 14, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Scott Reid |
| Succeeded by | Paul Lane |
| Minister of Environment, Climate Change, and Municipalities | |
| In office August 19, 2020[2] – April 8, 2021 | |
| Premier | Andrew Furey |
| Preceded by | Derrick Bragg |
| Succeeded by | position abolished[3] |
| Member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly for Lewisporte-Twillingate | |
| In office November 30, 2015 – October 14, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Riding Established |
| Succeeded by | Mark Butt |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Liberal |
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
| 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] | ||||||||
