Beaton Tulk

Beaton Tulk (May 22, 1944 – May 23, 2019) was a Canadian educator, civil servant and politician. He served as the seventh premier of Newfoundland from 2000 to 2001 as a member of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Beaton Tulk
7th Premier of Newfoundland
In office October 16, 2000 – February 13, 2001
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Lieutenant Governor	Arthur Maxwell House
Preceded by	Brian Tobin
Succeeded by	Roger Grimes
Deputy Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
In office August 4, 2000 – October 16, 2000
MHA for Fogo
In office June 18, 1979 – April 20, 1989
Succeeded by	Sam Windsor
MHA for Fogo
In office May 3, 1993 – February 22, 1996
Preceded by	Sam Windsor
Succeeded by	riding dissolved
MHA for Bonavista North
In office February 22, 1996 – April 2, 2002
Preceded by	Tom Lush
Succeeded by	Harry Harding
Personal details
Born	May 22, 1944 Ladle Cove, Newfoundland
Died	May 23, 2019(2019-05-23) (aged 75) Musgravetown, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Political party	Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador
Other political affiliations	Liberal Party of Canada
Spouse(s)	Dora Tulk (until his death)
Occupation	Teacher, politician
Cabinet	Minister of Forest Resources and Agrifoods (May 1997 – July 1997), Minister of Development and Rural Renewal (July 1997 – October 2000)

Early life

Born in Ladle Cove, Newfoundland, Tulk was the youngest son of Sadie and Japhet Tulk.[1] He graduated from Memorial University with BA, B.Ed, and Master of Educational Administration degrees.[2] He also later obtained a Canadian Securities Investment Diploma.[3] An educator prior to politics, he was a supervising principal for the Carmanville school system from 1974 to 1979.[3][4]

Political career

Tulk was first elected to the Newfoundland House of Assembly in 1979 as the Liberal Party of Newfoundland (later Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador) member for Fogo, and was re-elected in 1982 and 1985.[5] He was defeated in the 1989 election, and in 1990 became the Assistant Deputy Minister of Children and Youth Services for the Newfoundland government.[3][5][6] He was returned to the House of Assembly for Fogo in 1993.[3] He was then elected in the newly redistributed riding of Bonavista North in 1996, and re-elected in 1999.[7]

Tulk was appointed Minister of Forest Resources and Agrifoods in May 1997 and Minister of Development and Rural Renewal in July 1997.[1][8] In December 1998, he stepped down from cabinet when he was the subject of allegations of wrongdoing by the owner of a private college.[9] He was cleared of any wrongdoing by the police and by a commissioner's report, and returned to the cabinet in April 1999.[9][10] He was appointed Deputy Premier in August 2000[11] and Premier of Newfoundland in October 2000 when his predecessor, Brian Tobin, returned to federal politics.[12] He was not a candidate in the race to succeed Tobin as Liberal leader and returned to the position of Deputy Premier in February 2001 when Roger Grimes was elected Liberal leader and sworn in as Premier.[8]

In 2002, Tulk resigned his provincial seat to run unsuccessfully for the federal Liberals for the House of Commons of Canada seat of Gander—Grand Falls in a by-election after George Baker was appointed to the Senate, but was defeated by Rex Barnes.[13][14] Tulk then tried to return to provincial politics, running in the provincial by-election resulting from his own resignation, but was defeated by Harry Harding.[7]

On December 16, 2002, Tulk was appointed by the federal government of Jean Chrétien to the Canadian Transportation Agency.[6]

Later life

In 2018, Flanker Press released his autobiography, A Man of My Word, co-written by Laurie Blackwood Pike.[15][16] He lived in Musgravetown with his wife Dora during his final years.[17]

Tulk died from prostate cancer on May 23, 2019, one day after his 75th birthday.[18] He was diagnosed with the illness fifteen years prior to his death.[4] Prime Minister Justin Trudeau praised Tulk's career of "putting people first" citing his death as a "loss of a great Canadian and a great Liberal".[4]

References

1. "Joan Sullivan: Anecdotes from Beaton Tulk a lively read". The Telegram. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
2. "Beaton Tulk". Flanker Press. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
3. "New Cabinet Sworn In". www.releases.gov.nl.ca. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
4. "Beaton Tulk, former N.L. premier and longtime Liberal campaigner, dead at 75". CBC. May 23, 2019.
5. "CBC - Newfoundland and Labrador Votes 2003". www.cbc.ca. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
6. "Appointment to the Canadian Transportation Agency". Transport Canada. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
7. "CBC - Newfoundland and Labrador Votes 2003". www.cbc.ca. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
8. "Former Premier Beaton Tulk Passes Away At 75". VOCM. May 23, 2019.
9. "Beaton Tulk cleared of wrongdoing". CBC News. March 19, 1999. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
10. "Beaton Tulk back in cabinet". CBC News. April 27, 1999. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
11. "Senior government appointments announced". www.releases.gov.nl.ca. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
12. "Statement by Premier Tobin". www.releases.gov.nl.ca. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
13. "CBC - Canada Votes 2006 - Candidates and Ridings". www.cbc.ca. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
14. "Liberals reel from by-election defeats". The Globe and Mail. May 14, 2002. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
15. Press, Flanker. "A Man of My Word". Flanker Press. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
16. "Beaton Tulk talks cancer, Joey and how he never really wanted the top job". CBC News. May 9, 2018. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
17. "Beaton Tulk Part 1: Family First". NFLDHearld. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
18. Former Newfoundland and Labrador premier Beaton Tulk dead at 75