John Abbott steps down as MHA for St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi over court challenge

MHA John Abbott has resigned as MHA for the district of St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi.

The resignation stemmed from the 2021 General Election, which took place at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rapid onset of heightened restrictions across the Province resulted in an election primarily conducted through mail-in ballots.

While Abbott is accused of no wrongdoing in his participation in the 2021 General Election, he agreed to resign in the public interest in preventing a lengthy trial and the public expense associated with it, even though the parties remain in disagreement over whether the administrative errors affected the 2021 election result in St. John’s East Quidi Vidi.

The official results of the 2021 election in St. John’s East- Quidi Vidi separated Alison Coffin and Abbott by 53 votes.

Coffin has agreed to withdraw the contested election.

All parties agree that Whymarrh Whitby was inadvertently disenfranchised in the 2021 General Election and ought to have had the opportunity to vote in the St. John’s East-Quidi Vidi District.