Five things to know about Newfoundland and Labrador’s provincial election

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Five things to know about Newfoundland and Labrador’s election:

TORY DECLINE: The Progressive Conservative party began losing popular support when Kathy Dunderdale was premier. She introduced unpopular legislation aimed at restricting access to information and was accused of being politically tone deaf in January 2014 when she dismissed suggestions the province was in a crisis after a series of rolling blackouts left tens of thousands of people in the dark for days.

HISTORIC DEFEAT: At 12 years, the Tory term in office has been the shortest in the province’s history.

DANNY’S RECORD: The largest majority win in the province’s history came in 2007 when Danny Williams led his Progressive Conservative party to 44 of 48 seats, which represented 92 per cent of the total.

NDP COLLAPSE: In the last election the NDP came close to becoming the official Opposition, winning five seats to the Liberal party’s six. They stumbled in Monday’s election, winning two seats, which included a victory by former party leader Lorraine Michael in St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi.

NOTABLE DEFEATS: Former New Democrat MP Ryan Cleary failed to win the riding of Windsor Lake for the Conservatives; NDP Leader Earle McCurdy didn’t get elected in St. John’s West; cabinet ministers Keith Russell, Dan Crummell, Sandy Collins and Derrick Dalley.