The House of Assembly is open for the spring session, and the main question being asked is, who will replace Premier Andrew Furey?

The RCMP’s major crime unit is investigating after snowmobiler Chad Hickey was seriously injured on Feb. 21. As the CBC’s Colleen Connors reports, few details have been released regarding how the man sustained a major head injury.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly says Canada is ready with its own set of retaliatory tariffs should the U.S. impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods tomorrow.

U.S. President Donald Trump today said there is no more room left to negotiate and that tariffs are coming on Canada and Mexico at midnight tonight.

He calls it “the incentive we’ve created, or the negative incentive, I mean it’s going to be very costly for people to take advantage of this country.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly (CPAC)

Melanie Joly, who spoke with reporters today, was not convinced that the tariffs are coming tonight – but Canada is ready.

“If Trump is imposing tariffs, then we’re ready. We’re ready with $155 billion of tariffs, and we’re ready with a first tranche of tariffs, which is $30 billion, which is already known.”

United States President Donald Trump says Canada will be hit with 25 per cent tariffs across the board at midnight tonight.
Trump had first threatened the tariffs last month, but Canada and the U.S. agreed to a 30-day pause while they dealt with border security. But today Trump said there is no room left to negotiated a deal to avoid the tariffs coming into effect tomorrow.

The order initially tied the tariffs to the illegal flow of people and drugs across the borders. However, Trump previously said the delay would allow time for an “economic” deal.

The Sportscraft Eastern Icebreakers defeated the Central Ick Pak 2-0 in the best-of-three final and will represent the province at the Atlantic Championship.

The 2025 U18 Female Atlantic Championships are being held week of April 3-6 in Pictou, Nova Scotia.

This will lead into the 2025 Esso Cup, in which the winner of the 2025 U18 Female Atlantic Championships will gain the opportunity to represent their province. The Esso Cup will be held in Lloydminster, AB from April 20-26 at the Centennial Civic Centre.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with King Charles III at Sandringham today, and while there’s no immediate word on what was discussed, Trudeau said prior to the meeting that Canadian sovereignty was the only real issue of importance.

Canadians had been growing increasingly uneasy with the U.K.’s relative silence on the matter.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer was questioned in the U.K. parliament today on his stand on threats made by U.S. President Donald Trump to make Canada a “51st state.”

Trudeau, the only world leader outside of the E.U. who attended a gathering called by Starmer on a peaceful end to the war in Ukraine, met with the Prime Minister separately.

“I was able to assure him of our strong support for Canada, a close ally off ours, a strong supporter of Ukraine. Canada had led the way on the training that’s been so vital to Ukraine, so they were very welcome at the table.”

The Pharmacy Association of Newfoundland and Labrador is marking Pharmacy Appreciation Month with a new digital campaign entitled Ask a Pharmacist – We Can Help With That!

President of PANL, Dr. Ashley Waghmare says pharmacists can treat a wide range of minor ailments including UTIs, taking people out of health care waiting rooms.

“The number of UTIs that have we have assessed and prescribed for has become quite high, and that’s just one way we’re helping keep people out of ERs, out of doctor’s offices, out of walk-in clinics.” That, says Waghmare “helps the whole system, it helps the patient and it helps the health care system.”

Indications are that the United States will impose tariffs on Canadian goods heading south of the border as of midnight tonight, but as of this afternoon, it still wasn’t clear if that is an absolute certainty, or how much the tariffs would be.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that if tariffs are imposed, Canada will respond with retaliatory tariffs.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller told reporters today that it’s still not clear if meetings in Washington to impress upon the Trump administration the impact tariffs will have, have been heard.

He says up to 1 million jobs could be in jeopardy if the U.S. makes good on its threats.

“Even though I come out of these meetings with some ambivalence, not knowing whether they’ve been useful or useless, I can’t leave it up to chance” Miller told reporters at a funding announcement today. He says they’ve impressed on the Americans “let’s not make a liability out of an asset, which is our relationship and the security and safety of our….border.”

The provincial government is challenging the Opposition to contact the Auditor General, if they think anything untoward occurred in the sale of 32 acres of Crown land in the east end of the capital city near Snow’s Lane.

Questions surrounding the recent sale to the family from whom it was originally expropriated by government more than 40 years ago, led Question Period in the House of Assembly today.

The sale, which was discovered in an Order in Council, allowed the Crosbie Group to buy the land at $5,000 an acre.

That’s considerably less than the $25,000 government paid when it was expropriated in 1982.

Half of the 32 acres in question are protected wetlands, and government argues that the land is “landlocked” and not of use to them. Transportation Minister Fred Hutton told VOCM News last week that the land was assessed and that it was sold for “fair market value.”

That didn’t set well with Opposition Leader, Tony Wakeham, but Housing Minister John Abbott, who responded in the House today, didn’t seem to think much of the questions.

“It was quoted by the Minister of Transportation that this land was ‘landlocked’ and ‘worthless,’ yet at the same time, it wasn’t that long ago that the government was looking at building a school off Snow’s Lane. So I ask the minister, does he think that this land is worthless?” Abbott responded, “Well I would suggest that the land is worth more than the value of the question being asked right now Mr. Speaker.”

Wakeham called the Crown land sale, and recent transactions involving the purchase of land at Kenmount Crossing and the $21 million, 3-year lease of the former Comfort Inn without going to tender “undefendable.”

The provincial government will not be raising the provincial tax on gas and diesel in the coming year.

The province cut its portion of the tax on oil and gas in half in 2022, and has maintained the rate at 8.05 cents a litre since that time.

The province is also extending a 50 per cent cut in the cost of registering passenger vehicles to the coming year and is continuing with its home heating supplement program for those who heat their homes with oil.

Many musicians from Newfoundland and Labrador look to the United States to sell their music and tour. Now, some artists are hoping to pivot to new markets like the rest of Canada and Europe.

Judge Rolf Pritchard granted a defence application to delay the start of Humby’s trial until March 18.

A 25-year-old St. John’s man has a future date with the court after crashing his vehicle into a snow bank in Corner Brook.

The RNC same onto the scene at 3:30 Sunday morning on the Lewin Parkway.

The driver was arrested at the scene and charged with impaired driving.

He will appear in court at a later date. His license was suspended and vehicle impounded.

Mount Pearl Deputy Mayor Nicole Kieley has announced her bid for the Liberal Party nomination in the federal riding of Cape Spear.

Kieley has served as Executive Director of Women in Resource Development and the NL Sexual Assault Crisis and Prevention Centre, as well as special advisor to the premier.

Kieley, recently an above-knee amputee, says her experience has strengthened her commitment to diversity, inclusion and advocacy. She wants to bring fresh perspectives to Ottawa.

Victoria Belbin, former executive officer of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association NL, has already announced her intentions to seek the nomination, with former long-time MHA Tom Osborne considering a run as well.

The captain of the Ocean Choice offshore trawler the Katshetshuk II is encouraged by what his crew encountered while fishing for the first offshore northern cod to be caught and processed in Newfoundland and Labrador since the moratorium was declared.

Captain Peter Melvin says conditions in 2J off the coast of southern Labrador were a bit rough, but the catch rates were “great.”

“Tow times were short, it was excellent. Excellent quality of fish, great looking fish….it’s a bright future for the codfish I think.”

The Nigerian Association of Newfoundland and Labrador is celebrating Black legacy and leadership. Friday’s event in St. John’s was an opportunity for the growing number of Black food vendors, businesses and musicians from various cultures to meet one another.

The trial of a man facing 85 sexual violence charges has been set over until later this month.

Tony Humby made a brief appearance in provincial court this morning.

He is accused of sexual violence against young, vulnerable male teens going back about a quarter of a century.

His co-accused, 82-year-old Bruce Escott, pleaded guilty to seven charges and will be sentenced tomorrow.

Humby’s trial is now set to begin on March 18th.

The race to replace outgoing Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey has begun. Liberal leadership nominations are due by March 24, with a convention that will elect the province's new premier on May 3.

Arguments are being heard in court in St. John’s today which touch on the very fabric of democracy – the ability to vote in an election.

Alison Coffin, who fell 53 votes short in the last provincial election in St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi, is hoping that the judge hearing the case will choose to send it to trial.

John Abbott, who is currently a cabinet minister, won the contest.

That was the COVID election, called by Premier Andrew Furey in the winter. However, things quickly unraveled when people hired to work the polling stations began quitting. It became a mail-in ballot process, but with many examples of defects.

Coffin’s test case is Whymarrh Whitby, who she says did everything in his power to get a ballot, but could not.

She says they have identified a number of people who applied and were eligible but could not get a ballot. Then, she says, there are a bunch of people who voted but voted in the wrong district in St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi even though they weren’t eligible.

“And then they were more people who got a ballot but did not present the proper I.D. to do that,” she told VOCM Open Line with Linda Swain.

Two PC candidates – Jim Lester in Mount Pearl and Sheila Fitzgerald on the Northern Peninsula – are also challenging the election results via the legal system.

Brad Gushue and Team Canada remain unbeaten at the Montana’s Brier in Kelowna, British Columbia.
The defending champions improved to 3-0 last night after a thrilling 6-5 victory over Northern Ontario.

Team Canada opened the event with a 9-2 victory over Newfoundland and Labrador Saturday. They then defeated the host B.C. rink 5-3.
Brad Gushue and his St. John’s-based rink have won three straight Brier titles and are taking aim at a seventh national title.

Meanwhile, Team Newfoundland and Labrador is off to an 0-2 start with a matchup this afternoon against Nunavut.

The event runs all week with the final set for Sunday.

Newfoundland and Labrador will have a new premier on May 3rd.

The Liberal Party announced the details of the leadership race this morning.

The nomination period is open from now until March 24th. Then, there will be a leadership convention on May 2nd and 3rd with the new leader, and premier, being announced on that date.

To be eligible to vote in the election, people must be a registered member of the Liberal Party by end of day March 31st.

Meanwhile, John Hogan, who’s considering a run for the top job, is relinquishing his extra duties and will sit as a backbencher.

That means government will have to find others take on his roles as government house leader and health minister.

A columnist and commentator on the Canadian political landscape is calling Premier Andrew Furey ‘the best of Canadians.”

Furey last week announced his intention to step out of the political realm and return to the operating theatre.

Evan Solomon, a columnist, political journalist, radio host and publisher says Furey’s whole life has been focused on public service, whether as a surgeon, with his work on the ground in Haiti, or as an elected official.

He says political life is hard, especially in recent years.

“Like it sucks, okay, for their families” Solomon told the Tim Powers Show on VOCM. “The current corrosive environment is really hard on people, and I get there’s a lot of partisanship and distrust…and that’s the weather system we’re in now.”

“It’s a hail storm in politics and he’s weathered a lot of that really well. So hats off to him, I think he’s served the province and the country extremely well, and he’s a role model for a lot of people who enter the public service at the right time, and then leave public service.”

The call for nominations for leadership candidates for the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Leadership Election is now open. Nominations shall remain open until March 24, 2025 at 12:00 P.M.

The leadership convention will take place May 2-3, 2025 in St. John’s, where the next leader of the Liberal Party of NL will be announced.

To be eligible to vote in the 2025 LPNL Leadership Election, you must be signed up as a Registered Liberal between January 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025 at 11:59 P.M. (NST) and meet all the criteria as outlined in the Rules under the definition of Registered Liberal.

It was an historic win for figure skating in the province.

The Open Starlites of the Mount Pearl-Paradise Skating Club captured the 2025 Skate Canada Cup Championship in the Open Category, claiming a national title.

The 2025 Skate Canada Cup championships hosted 41teams and 700 skaters from across the country in Kitchener/Waterloo competing for national titles in the novice, gold and open categories.

Also representing Newfoundland and Labrador at the championships were two teams from the Prince of Wales Skating Club of St. John’s, and 2 teams from the Mount Pearl Paradise SC which competed in the Novice and Gold category. 

Skate Newfoundland and Labrador is a proud member of Skate Canada and the governing body of figure skating in Newfoundland and Labrador. However, Skate NL goes far beyond figure skating. As the largest learn-to-skate teaching organization in the province, it offers programming for all ages and abilities through our more than 30 member clubs and schools located from St. John’s to Labrador City. Currently boasting a membership of 5, 500 participants, it is the largest learn-to-skate teaching organization in the province.  

Jigs and Reels and More and the Dildo Brewery will host an International Women’s Day celebration from March 7 to 9 in Dildo.

The event will feature Newfoundland Music all three days. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the O’Shaughnessy House in Carbonear. Donations will be accepted all week.

International Women’s Day is on March 8.

Minister Andrew Parsons has ruled out a run for the leadership of the provincial Liberal Party following Premier Andrew Furey’s impending resignation.

In a statement posted to Facebook this morning, Parsons said while he gave the idea serious thought after receiving encouragement from family, friends and colleagues, he has decided not to seek the role.

He noted that he had already taken steps toward the next chapter in his life and said the premier’s chair requires full dedication, patience and sacrifice. Parsons added that he has too much respect for his family, constituents, and the province to take on the role without giving it everything.

He thanked Premier Furey for his service and said he will continue to support his colleagues and whoever takes on the leadership.

It doesn’t mean that Bay du Nord is back on, but it does bode well according to an oil industry insider.

BP recently held its Capital Markets Day where it announced plans to boost oil exploration around the world including offshore Canada, which is Newfoundland.

They plan to drill 40 exploration wells over the next three years, a move which Rob Strong sees as encouraging. Equinor is the main stakeholder in the deep-water well off Newfoundland, but BP has a significant piece of that pie as well.

Bay du Nord was put on hold a couple of years ago for a period of “up- to three years.”

Strong interprets it as a positive sign as it seems that they wish to drill another well or two off Newfoundland.

The Brad Gushue Rink remains undefeated after a tough 6-5 win over Northern Ontario last night at the Brier in Kelowna.

They now move to 3-0 heading into tonight’s match against Manitoba.

That starts at 6:30 NFLD time.

The Canadian Federation of Students NL is calling on Premier Andrew Furey to meet with them before he steps down as Premier and leader of the Liberal Party.

Chair Mary Feltham says despite nearly five years in office, the Premier has yet to meet with them about cuts to post-secondary funding.

In 2021, government outlined its plans to make the university fully autonomous.

In December, Premier Andrew Furey indicated that government would not be stepping in to assist Memorial with its financial governance to help deal with a $9.5 million deficit.

Feltham says a meeting with Furey is long overdue.

“Students wanted to meet and address these concerns to the premier to let him know how drastically this is impacting current students in this province and the future of the province.”

The Department of Health and Community Services has awarded 34 recipients with the Community Addictions Prevention and Mental Health Promotion Grants.

These grants provide funding to individuals, schools community groups and organizations with initiatives that foster positive mental health and well-being, and prevention of substance use and addictions. Funding of up to $10,000 is available.

The grant program is administered in partnership with the NL Health Services which has dedicated mental health and addictions prevention and promotion consultants to work with the applicants.

Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services confirms that they have not been able to fill an ultrasound technologist position that they have been recruiting for since last fall in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and will be moving ahead with the use of an agency by next Monday.

NAPE first raised the issue last week, slamming the idea as the “encroachment of privatization” and an “absolute insult” to workers.

In a statement to VOCM News, NLHS says they have been actively recruiting for the position since October, noting that due to changes in the College of the North Atlantic’s ultrasound program, no new graduates are expected until 2026.

They say existing ultrasound techs from other zones have been approached to fill the position as locums. An expression of interest was issued, but has had a “limited response” to date.

The health authority is looking at further incentives for employees to consider locum opportunities in the town. If successful, existing employees will be used first.

For now, NLHS is speaking with the agency to determine resource needs. They call the use of agency resources a “last resort” but it will help them to continue to provide the service.

Montreal Canadiens centre, and St. John’s native, Alex Newhook took time out from his busy schedule with the Habs recently to take in one of his sister’s games at Boston College.

Abby Newhook is currently the co-captain of the Boston College Eagles.

A video posted to the Montreal Canadiens social media follows Alex making his way to the Matthews Arena in Boston just in time to catch the second period of his sister’s game against the Northeastern University Huskies.

On his way to the game, Newhook commented on his sister’s potential hockey future.

He says it is great to see the PWHL’s growth, believing they have done a great job of establishing themselves as on option for women that want to move to the next level after college. “I think that’d be an avenue she wants to go down, if the opportunity is there for her I think she’s going to try to dive in to it. I think with the draft and everything coming up it’s an exciting year for her, and we’ll see how it goes.”

Premier Andrew Furey is attending the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada International Convention, Trade Show and Investors Exchange in Toronto this week.

Furey addressed the Newfoundland and Labrador PDAC Reception on Sunday. He will provide a keynote address at the Canada’s Atlantic Edge Program event on Tuesday, March 4.

This year there are over 25 mining and exploration companies, six prospectors, and approximately 10 service and supply companies with affiliation to the province exhibiting and participating in a directed mining investment promotional program, as well as representatives from Indigenous governments and organizations.

It is the world’s largest annual mining convention, attracting up to 30,000 attendees from over 100 countries, representing mining and exploration companies, investment funds, consultants, suppliers, and governments.

The Mount Pearl-Paradise Skating Club’s Open Starlites took first place at the 2025 Skate Canada Cup, winning the national open category with a score of 200.82 points. The competition, held in Waterloo, Ontario, saw over 650 athletes from 41 teams across Canada.

Les Suprêmes from Saint-Léonard, Quebec, finished second with 187.77 points, while Élite Synchro from Pierrefonds, Quebec, placed third with 184.53 points.

The competition included athletes from the Mount Pearl-Paradise Skating Club. In addition to the Open Starlites, the club’s Novice Starlites and Gold Starlites teams competed in the novice and gold categories, while the Prince of Wales Skating Club’s Synergy Novice and Gold Teams also vied for national titles.

Newfoundland and Labrador is staring down federal, provincial, and municipal elections in the next eight months, but for one new Canadian the opportunity to vote is something she's not taking for granted.

The provincial legislature opens for the spring sitting today under clouds of political uncertainty from provincial, national, and international perspectives.

Premier Furey is not in the province and won’t be in the legislature. He is representing NL at a mining conference in Toronto this week.

The uncertainty starts with leadership.

Premier Andrew Furey dropped a bombshell last Tuesday when he announced that he is resigning as Premier, kickstarting a Liberal leadership race to replace him.

While the specifics of that process haven’t come out yet, several provincial cabinet ministers have indicated that they are considering throwing their name in the hat.

While that process is unfolding, a leadership race will be decided among the federal Liberals to choose who will replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

That race will be decided on March 9th, but with the House of Commons set to reopen on March 24th it looks like a federal election could be called while the House of Assembly is sitting.

Compounding all of those issues is the continued uncertainty, including threats of tariffs, from the Donald Trump administration in the United States.

In recent months Premier Furey has outlined the significant impact that tariffs will have on the provincial economy, launching a buy local campaign and holding meetings with various stakeholders as a result.

Meanwhile, Government House Leader John Hogan says the spring sitting of the House of Assembly, which begins today, will mostly be focused on matters relating to the provincial budget.

That’s the standard fare for the spring sitting, as the fall is usually heavier on new pieces of legislation.

Hogan says one of the main matters will be passing interim supply, which gives government the ability to continue its spending after the new fiscal year rolls over in April, as the provincial budget will not yet be passed.

As for the budget itself, Hogan says the details of that are forthcoming.

The legislative agenda won’t be all budget, however, with Hogan saying there are other items to get to on the order paper.

One such piece of legislation, Hogan explains, is an act respecting the establishment of the law enforcement oversight commission and a complaints process relating to law enforcement officers. Hogan can’t speak to the details of that until the bill is tabled, but days Justice Minister Bernard Davis will be debating it this week.

On Sunday afternoon, the RNC responded to a disturbance at a home in the west end of St. John’s.

When police arrived on the scene, the suspect was driving away from the area and a traffic stop was conducted.

Police arrested the 52-year-old male and charged him with possession of a concealed weapon, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and breaches of a release order.

The House of Assembly will resume sitting for the Spring sitting today at 1:30 p.m. which is 1:00 p.m. in most of Labrador.

Proceedings throughout the spring sitting will be broadcast live via the House of Assembly television channel and streamed via the House of Assembly website and social media channels. In addition, the public galleries will be open throughout the sitting.

Two people are spending some time at the lockup following two separate disturbances at homes in the metro region on Sunday.

During the supper hour, the RNC were called to a home in the west end. Just as they were pulling in, a vehicle was pulling out. Police arrested a 52-year-old man on charges of having a weapon for a dangerous purpose and concealing same. He was also charged with breaching a release order.

In Conception Bay South, officers arrested a man after a woman was assaulted. That incident happened at about midnight. The 27-year-old suspect was arrested and placed in custody.

Politicians across Newfoundland and Labrador are returning to St. John's this weekend ahead of the start of the spring session of the House of Assembly.

The College of the North Atlantic is joining a growing social media exodus – and is discontinuing it’s X social media presence and adding BlueSky to its social media accounts.

CNA says BlueSky provides a platform that allows the organization to connect with students, staff, media and the community at large in a way that it says supports open, positive communication.

Associate Vice President of Public Affairs with CNA, Heidi Staeben-Simmons says X, formerly known as Twitter, is a place they no longer feel aligns with their values.

“For us it’s really about getting out good information on platforms where we can have positive engagement and positive discussion. We’re really not interested in being on platforms that create misinformation or false information,” says Staeben-Simmons. “That was the impetus for the change.”

The increasingly tense political situation involving Donald Trump in the United States and Elon Musk who owns X, is not lost on them either says Staeben-Simmons.

pic.twitter.com/KnLKQi3R16

— College of the North Atlantic (@CNA_News) February 28, 2025

An American man charged with sexual assault at a St. John’s hotel will remain behind bars at least until Thursday.

Twenty-nine-year-old Raekwon Holliman made a brief appearance in provincial court on Friday and was returned to jail.

Police were called to the unnamed hotel around 3 a.m. Friday morning following a report that a woman had been assaulted.

She was located by police and taken to hospital for treatment of undisclosed injuries.

The accused was arrested shortly after noon on Friday before appearing in court.

He now has a bail hearing scheduled for Thursday morning.

A major economic deal with Ukraine is currently in limbo following a tumultuous meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on Friday. Zelenskyy expressed doubts about Russia's commitment to peace, which ultimately led Trump to call him "disrespectful" and kick him out of The White House. Still, Zelenskyy expressed readiness to sign the minerals deal, which Trump demands in exchange for wartime aid. (UPI)

A private lunar lander successfully landed on the moon with experiments for NASA, marking a milestone as Firefly Aerospace became the first private company to achieve a stable moon landing. The mission sent back initial photos, with more private landers set to follow suit later this week. (ABC News)

Delta Flight 1398 from Boston to New Orleans returned safely after a "smoky odor" was detected in the cabin following takeoff. The Airbus A220 landed without injuries to the 92 passengers. The FAA is investigating the incident as Delta works to ensure passengers reach their destination safely and promptly. (NBC News)

President Trump signed an executive order making English the official language of the U.S., overturning a policy by former President Clinton. The order claims to promote a unified society, allowing federal agencies to keep support systems for those with limited English proficiency on a voluntary basis. (NPR)

Pope Francis remained stable without needing mechanical ventilation, showing improvement from a respiratory crisis. Still, his prognosis remains guarded. He continued to rest, pray, and receive visitors in the hospital, expressing solidarity with the sick and suffering in a message calling for peace. (AP)

U.S. President Donald Trump is moving ahead with his plan to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian trade products as of Tuesday, March 4. However, this week a White House official stated that could change pending ongoing negotiations. Imposed or not, NTV’s Marykate O’Neill tells us how this province is preparing.

In the wake of the Premier’s resignation, those closest to provincial politics are still getting up to speed on the move. As NTV’s Marykate O’Neill reports, some believe Premier Furey is leaving on a high that could have helped the Liberals in what was an anticipated upcoming election campaign.

A former provincial cabinet minister says he is considering running for the Liberal Party in the next federal election.

Tom Osborne retired from provincial politics last year after 28 years as a politician.

Osborne took to social media over the weekend, asking family and friends if they’d support him for the federal run.

NTV News spoke with Tom Osborne Sunday. He said he is “very seriously” considering running in the next federal election, and he “really thinks he’s going to do it”.

Osborne cited uncertain times, and threats on Canada as a reason for thinking about throwing his name in the ring. With 25 per cent tariffs on Canada to be imposed on Tuesday, Osborne said this country needs leaders, and politics is in his blood.

Tom Osborne said he will make a final decision soon, with an announcement to come later this week.