Kerri Claire Neil wins NDP race for Windsor Lake nomination over Matt Howse

Provincial NDP members voted Tuesday night to see who will contest the Windsor Lake byelection on Sept. 20.

With nominations closed as of Monday evening, two candidates had come forward.

Kerri Claire Neil won the nomination over Matt Howse of St. John's.

The NDP says Neil is a social economist and feminist. She is originally from Spaniard's Bay and has a bachelor's degree in economics from MUN, where she is pursuing a master's in sociology.

"She has worked throughout her education, most recently with Dr. Tony Fang in the Department of Economics researching immigration and municipal service delivery in the province, with a focus on policy development and has several publications, including the Democracy Cookbook," the NDP said in an email release.

"She is also an active volunteer in her community. In 2014, Kerri Claire started the MUN Tax Clinic, a free clinic to help low-income earners file their taxes. As Director of the MUN Tax Clinic, Kerri Claire has grown the clinic to be the biggest in the province and implemented innovative service delivery models that are being considered as best practices at the national level."

Neil addressed her supporters after her nomination thanking those who had voted for her, her mom and other members of the party.

"I'm really looking forward to the next few weeks, and we're going to win this," she exclaimed. 

Neil has been an outspoken activist, focusing on two main issues: feminism and Muskrat Falls. These are issues she hopes to discuss with residents in the upcoming byelection. 

Neil has also been actively involved in researching and mobilizing against Muskrat Falls since the project was first proposed.

Candidates outline plans, problems

In a Facebook post announcing her candidacy, Neil listed her priorities for government, including creating a long-term strategy for Muskrat Falls, replacing Her Majesty's Penitentiary, and replacing the provincial gas tax with a carbon tax.

"Working to create a strong, sustainable economy for our province has always been a dream of mine and I hope to use my skills as a social economist to help prepare residents of Windsor Lake and Newfoundland and Labrador for the economy of tomorrow while assisting them deal with the issues of today," she wrote.

Howse's post detailed a province struggling with economic downturns and declining industries, and took aim at the Liberal and PC candidates who were acclaimed, Paul Antle and Ches Crosbie, respectively.

"In Ches Crosbie, we see the interests and legacy of that elite class, stale and uninspiring, and we see a party that orchestrated the worst public undertaking in the history of the province — the Muskrat Falls hydro development," he wrote.

"In Paul Antle, we see someone who has profited immensely from the wealth generated by the oil and gas sector, but does not want to share that wealth with the people of his province, even when tax law states he should do so."

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