Sarah Stoodley

Sarah Stoodley
Minister of Government Modernization and Service Delivery, Minister Responsible for the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs
Assumed office
May 9, 2025
Preceded byElvis Loveless
Minister of Immigration, Population Growth, and Skills and Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs
In office
July 19, 2024 – May 9, 2025
Preceded byGerry Byrne
Succeeded byGerry Byrne
Member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
for Mount Scio
Assumed office
May 16, 2019
Preceded byDale Kirby
Minister of Digital Government and Service NL
In office
August 19, 2020[1] – July 19, 2024
Preceded byTom Osborne (acting)
Succeeded byElvis Loveless
Personal details
Political partyLiberal
Signature

Sarah Stoodley is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly in the 2019 provincial election.[2] She represents the electoral district of Mount Scio as a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal Party.

Prior to her election to the House of Assembly, Stoodley was an elected alumni representative on the Memorial University Board of Regents and a board member of the Pippy Park Commission.[3]

Political career

[edit]

Stoodley was elected to the House of Assembly in the 2019 election and was one of only two Liberals (alongside Elvis Loveless) elected for the first time.[4]

In June 2019, she was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation.[5]

In March 2020, Stoodley introduced a private member's motion to the House of Assembly calling for the expansion of PIPEDA; the motion was passed.[6]

Cabinet Minister

[edit]

On August 19, 2020, Stoodley was appointed Minister of Digital Government and Service Newfoundland and Labrador, Minister Responsible for the Office of the Chief Information Officer, and Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs in the Furey government.[7][8]

She was re-elected in the 2021 provincial election.[9]

On July 19, 2024, she was appointed as Minister of Immigration, Population Growth, and Skills and Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs.[10]

On March 11, 2025 she was appointed as Acting Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Acting Minister of Housing, in addition to Minister of Immigration, Population Growth and Skills and Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs.[11]

On May 9, 2025 she was appointed Minister of Government Modernization and Service Delivery, and Minister Responsible for the Office of the Chief Information Officer, shortly after the election of new Premier John Hogan.[12] She also remains Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs.

Personal life

[edit]

Stoodley grew up in Grand Falls-Windsor and has lived in England. She obtained a Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Arts both from Memorial University of Newfoundland.

In August 2020, Stoodley announced that she was pregnant with her first child.[13] In response to her pregnancy, the House of Assembly changed policy to allow parents to bring their babies with them into the legislative chambers.[14]

Electoral record

[edit]
2021 Newfoundland and Labrador general election: Mount Scio
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sarah Stoodley 2,011 46.60 +4.93
Progressive Conservative Damian Follett 1,152 26.70 -10.52
New Democratic Sheilagh O'Leary 1,074 24.89 +12.33
NL Alliance Andrea Newbury 60 1.39 -7.15
Independent Larry Borne 18 0.42
Total valid votes 4,315
Total rejected ballots
Turnout
Eligible voters
Liberal hold Swing +7.72
Source(s)
"Officially Nominated Candidates General Election 2021" (PDF). Elections Newfoundland and Labrador. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
"NL Election 2021 (Unofficial Results)". Retrieved 27 March 2021.
2019 Newfoundland and Labrador general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sarah Stoodley 1,981 41.68 -5.41
Progressive Conservative Lloyd Power 1,769 37.22 +9.84
New Democratic Jason R. Mercer 597 12.56 -12.98
NL Alliance Graydon Pelley 406 8.54
Total valid votes 4,753 99.69
Total rejected ballots 15 0.31 -0.08
Turnout 4,768 54.51 +7.69
Electors on the lists 8,747
Liberal hold Swing -7.63
Source: Elections Canada[15]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Bird, Lindsay (Aug 19, 2020). "New N.L. premier, new finance minister: Andrew Furey takes office and shuffles cabinet". CBC News. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  2. ^ "Here are 3 of the 14 first-timers headed to the House of Assembly". CBC News Newfoundland and Labrador, May 17, 2019.
  3. ^ "Five districts to watch in Newfoundland and Labrador election". The Telegram, April 22, 2019.
  4. ^ "Here's the list of the winning candidates in the 2019 N.L. election". CBC News, May 17, 2019.
  5. ^ "Not-So-Full House Slated To Open As Labrador West Awaits Recount". VOCM news, June 5, 2019.
  6. ^ "Hansard - March 4, 2020". House of Assembly. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  7. ^ "Newfoundland and Labrador's new premier doesn't clear the deck, but he certainly shuffled it". The Chronicle Herald, August 19, 2020.
  8. ^ "Andrew Furey takes office as 14th premier of N.L., names cabinet". CBC News. 19 August 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Here are all the MHAs elected in the Newfoundland and Labrador election". CBC News. March 27, 2021.
  10. ^ Key Portfolios Shift Hands in Newfoundland Cabinet Shake-Up. VOCM News, July 19, 2024.
  11. ^ This Week’s Releases Government of Newfoundland and Labrador news releases week of March 10, 2025
  12. ^ "Newly-Sworn in Premier Hogan Shakes Things Up in Provincial Cabinet". VOCM. May 9, 2025.
  13. ^ @Sarahlstoodley (Aug 6, 2020). "Thank you @NL_HOA and @TW_GovNL for adding change tables to the House of Assembly washrooms!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  14. ^ "Babies on the floor: House of Assembly makes changes to allow MHAs to bring infants to work". CBC News.
  15. ^ "2015 Provincial General Election Report" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-05-16.