Andrew Furey

Furey was born and raised in St. John's. He earned a bachelor of science degree from Memorial University and graduated from the Memorial University of Newfoundland School of Medicine in 2001. He would later accept a Fellowship in Orthopedic Trauma from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland in 2007, before then returning to Newfoundland to practise medicine at his own clinic. He was later named Memorial University of Newfoundland's Alumnus of the Year in 2012, and became a recipient of the Ignatian Spirit Award in 2015.[2] He also completed a diploma in organizational leadership from Oxford University that same year.[1] In 2017, Furey was named the Canadian Red Cross's humanitarian of the year for Newfoundland and Labrador.[3]

In 2011, Furey co-founded Team Broken Earth, a volunteer task force supporting the relief effort in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake.[4] By 2013, the organization assisted hundreds of patients a week in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with Furey often personally leading the missions there.[5] The organization's efforts were temporarily halted in 2019 due to safety concerns amid rising violence in the country.[6]

Furey also co-founded the "A Dollar a Day" foundation alongside singer-songwriter Alan Doyle and businessman Brendan Paddick, which aims to provide funding for mental health initiatives in Newfoundland and Labrador.[7] In addition to this, Furey also serves as the co-chair for the Jack Hand Foundation.[2]

In 2020, Furey released a book, Hope in the Balance: A Newfoundland Doctor Meets a World in Crisis, discussing his experiences in Haiti.

Furey first expressed interest in entering politics in 2015, saying that his work with Team Broken Earth "left me with a want and desire to do more".[8] Speculation that Furey was being pitched to replace incumbent Premier Dwight Ball emerged as early as 2017.[9]

When Ball announced his eventual resignation in February 2020, Furey quickly became a potential contender and was almost immediately regarded as the frontrunner to succeed him.[10] Furey announced his intention to run for the leadership of the Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal Party on March 3, 2020 in St. John's,[11] and he was swiftly endorsed by the majority of Ball's cabinet.[12] On August 3, 2020, he was elected leader at the party's convention, receiving approximately two-thirds of votes cast.[13] On August 19, 2020, Furey was formally sworn in as Premier, along with his provincial cabinet.[14]

On September 7, 2020 Furey announced that he would contest the by-election in Humber-Gros Morne following the resignation of former premier Dwight Ball from the legislature. On October 6, 2020 Furey won the by-election in Humber-Gros Morne.

Furey resides in Portugal Cove–St. Philip's.[1] He is married to Dr. Allison Furey and they have 3 children, Rachel, Maggie and Mark.[15]

His father, George Furey, was appointed a Senator by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, and eventually became the Speaker of the Canadian Senate. His uncle, Chuck Furey, was MHA for St. Barbe and subsequently served as a cabinet minister in the provincial governments of Clyde Wells and Brian Tobin.