GRAND BANK, N.L. — It was a nervous night for supporters huddled around the television at Carol Anne Haley’s headquarters in Grand Bank on Thursday.
Four years ago, it wasn't long after the polls had closed that Haley was declared the Liberal victor in Burin-Grand Bank.
This time around PC Bill Matthews — an old hand at provincial and federal elections — made it a close race, with confirmation taking until the very last of the 40 polls in the district to come in.
With it, Haley’s supporters threw their hands in the air and expressed their relief with applause, handshakes and hugs all around.
It was a slim victory, but a win nonetheless. Haley received 2,822 votes to 2,645 for Matthews, a difference of 177.
Arriving at the headquarters about 45 minutes later, an ecstatic Haley thanked those present for helping get her re-elected and touted the work she had done in the previous four years with the Liberal government.
“I’m very pleased with the work that I have done. If you look back over what I have done, if anybody here wants a list of the work and the funding that I have acquired for the district of Burin-Grand Bank, you will not be disappointed,” she told them.
“I would expect there’s not many MHAs before me who have delivered what I have delivered with respect to funding.
Afterwards, Haley told The Southern Gazette she was nervous watching the results come in and called it “overwhelming” at times.
“I can’t imagine that the people of Burin-Grand Bank would not re-elect me, given all the good work I have done and touched their lives on a personal basis,” she said.
The situation Haley returns to in the House of Assembly won’t be the same as before the election with a Liberal minority elected on Thursday.
“It’s going to be different, there’s no question about that, but we’ll see how that goes,” she said.
