Judy May Foote ( Crowley; born June 23, 1952) is a Canadian former politician, 14th and current lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. She is the first woman to hold the position. Prior to her appointment as viceregal representative of the King in Right of Newfoundland and Labrador, Foote was the Liberal Member of Parliament for the ridings of Bonavista—Burin—Trinity (2015–2017) and Random—Burin—St. George's (2008–2015). She was the federal Minister of Public Services and Procurement from 2015 until her resignation from cabinet and Parliament for family reasons on August 24, 2017. Early life Foote was born on June 23, 1952, in Grand Bank, Newfoundland and Labrador. She was the head of the university relations division of the Memorial University of Newfoundland before she entered politics. Political career Foote served as the communications director for premier Clyde Wells before she ran for an elected position. She ran in the 1993 provincial election in Grand Bank but lost to PC incumbent Bill Matthews. Foote represented the electoral district of Grand Bank in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1996 to 2007 as a member of the Liberal Party. She served in the provincial cabinet as Minister of Development and Rural Renewal from 1996 to 1997, as Minister of Industry, Trade and Technology from 1997 to 1998, as Minister of Education from 1998 to 2000 and from 2001 to 2003. In February 2003, Foote became Newfoundland's Minister of Industry, Trade and Rural Development in a cabinet shuffle. Foote was narrowly reelected by 43 votes after a recount reduced her initial 50-vote lead in the Newfoundland and Labrador general election in October 2003. In 2007, Foote stepped down from the House of Assembly after she won the Liberal party nomination for Random—Burin—St. George's against former Newfoundland cabinet minister Oliver Langdon and businessman Roger Jamieson to run in the 2008 federal election. Foote was then elected to the House of Commons of Canada in 2008, succeeding longtime Liberal MP Bill Matthews. In 2009, Foote, along with the other five Liberal MPs from Newfoundland, voted against the 2009 Canadian federal budget because it went against funding promises made to the province in the 1985 Atlantic Accord. Foote became the Liberal Deputy House Leader in September 2010, but after she was reelected in the 2011 federal election, she accepted the position of Liberal Whip, which she held until the 2015 federal election. Minister of Public