Tony Wakeham, leader of the opposition, issued an open letter to the Premier on July 21, 2025, calling for the removal of eight current cabinet ministers for supporting a “secret bonus plan,” allowing cabinet ministers to receive up to $48,000 if they lose or choose not to run in the next election. Photo by Cameron Kilfoy/The TelegramArticle contentPC leader Tony Wakeham is calling on Premier John Hogan to remove eight current cabinet ministers from the Liberal slate after they approved a “secret bonus plan” that would see ministers who didn’t run or lost in the next election receive public funds.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentThose cabinet ministers include Bernard Davis (Virginia – Pleasantville), Lisa Dempster (Cartwright – L’Anse au Clair), Krista Lynn Howell (St. Barbe – L’Anse aux Meadows), Fred Hutton (Conception Bay East – Bell Island), Elvis Loveless (Fortune Bay – Cape La Hune), Pam Parsons (Harbour Grace – Port de Grave), Paul Pike (Burin – Grand Bank) and Sarah Stoodley (Mount Scio).Article contentArticle contentArticle contentWakeham says these ministers should be removed for supporting the “secret bonus plan” that allows cabinet ministers to receive up to $48,000 if they lose or choose not to run in the next election, which was first reported by the CBC on July 18.Article contentThe Telegram has not confirmed if these ministers have or did support the plan, which is officially the transitional allowance policy; Wakeham issued a release on July 21 stating that they did.Article content“My question: do you support these eight individuals as candidates in the next election?” read Wakeham’s release. “How can voters in these districts believe for a second that these candidates have their constituents’ best interests at heart, when they supported this secret Liberal bonus scheme?”Article contentWhat’s the policy?Article contentAccording to the CBC report, the Liberal cabinet approved a policy in April that wasn’t made public until reported on by the CBC, giving departing ministers between $12,000 and $48,000, based on time served.Article content2025 is an election year provincially. While the call has not dropped — there is a fixed date of Oct. 15, by which an election must be held — many Liberal cabinet veterans have been announcing that they won’t be seeking re-election, eight to be exact.Article contentThe policy, revealed by investigative reporting, would have cost taxpayers around $300,000 — but Hogan has since scrapped it.Article contentThat’s something Wakeham called for when he was first made aware of the plan as well.Article content Premier John Hogan issued a statement on July 18, 2025, claiming he was unaware of the policy until media inquired about it; once he became aware, he worked quickly to remove it immediately. Photo by Cameron Kilfoy/The TelegramArticle contentWhat did Hogan say?Article contentOn July 18, Hogan issued a statement via his Facebook page that said, after a meeting with cabinet, he made the decision to recind the new transitional allowance policy for provincial ministers immediately.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentArticle contentHogan’s statement added that he was not in cabinet or involved in the decision to approve the policy.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentAccording to Hogan’s statement, he became aware of the policy after receiving inquiries from the media and worked quickly to revoke the policy.Article contentHowever, not being aware of the policy before Friday is something Wakeham doesn’t buy.Article content“Setting aside how difficult it is to believe that the public service would not brief a new premier on issues of compensation for cabinet, your statement raises more questions than it provides answers,” said Wakeham.Article contentWakeham wants clarityArticle contentWakeham, in an open letter, called on Hogan for clarity, saying if he revoked the policy, it must mean he thinks the Liberals made the wrong choice and asked if Furey and former Energy Minister Andrew Parsons received the bonus and if the government would be working to recoup those funds.Article contentHe also called for the removal of the eight cabinet ministers before the election is called.Article contentWakeham said that if Hogan didn’t take these steps, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians would know where he stands on the issue and that his only regret is that he got caught.Article contentThe Telegram has reached out to Hogan’s office for response on the matter. A statement has not yet been provided. This story will be updated if one is provided.Article content
Wakeham calls for removal of eight current cabinet ministers over secret bonus plan
