Newfoundland and Labrador’s fresh tourism minister has taken down her TikTok account and mostly deleted her Facebook content, leaving only one post. PC Andrea Barbour won over Liberal incumbent Krista Lynn Howell in St. Barbe-L’Anse Aux Meadows during the recent provincial election, leveraging a strong social media campaign. Barbour, known for her personal brand and previous real estate career in Newfoundland’s Northern Peninsula, had a significant following on TikTok, where she shared videos featuring traditional N.L. recipes, dancing, exercising, and her work.
Following the completion of training for the new MHAs in St. John’s, Barbour removed her social media content, except for Instagram, sparking concerns from Liberal tourism critic Bettina Ford. Ford expressed worry over the deletion of Barbour’s pre-election social media material, citing a now-removed TikTok video where Barbour criticized the former Liberal government’s tourism strategies. Ford questioned Barbour’s stance on Newfoundland’s traditions and immigration, as well as her understanding of the tourism sector’s economic impact.
The PC party clarified that they do not have a formal social media policy, leaving decisions on content removal to individual MHAs. NDP MHA Sheilagh O’Leary also weighed in on the situation, acknowledging constituent concerns about Barbour’s social media conduct. O’Leary, a former deputy mayor of St. John’s, emphasized the learning curve for new politicians and urged patience in assessing their professional behavior.
In response to queries, Barbour stated that she voluntarily shut down some social media accounts before the election to streamline her focus. She mentioned plans to establish official social media pages as an MHA and minister.