Former Liberal cabinet minister Eddie Joyce will run as an independent in the district of Humber-Bay of Islands in the upcoming election.

He says he has an election team in place and feels very confident he will win, despite being removed from the Liberal caucus a year ago by Premier Dwight Ball over harassment complaints from MHA Sherry Gambin-Walsh.

"If you're in my shoes, and you were walking around the district of the Humber-Bay of islands and see how much people realize that tumultuous year was all politics," said Joyce.

Joyce takes in an SPCA fundraiser announcement in December. (Colleen Connors/CBC)

"There was absolutely no foundation to the bullying and harassment stuff and people know the difference. So, that's why I am very confident, when I go around, that we will do just fine in the election."

Joyce was cleared of harassment and bullying allegations, but Bruce Chaulk, commissioner for legislative standards, said Joyce broke a code of conduct for elected officials in lobbying to get a friend a government job.

Run on liberal values

The Liberal Party has not put out a call for nominations in the district yet, and there's no timeline as to when that will take place.

When Joyce starts his campaign, he said, it will be very different from any other election he's run in the past 30 years.

Joyce, here with Gerry Byrne at the SPCA fundraiser announcement in December, says he's confident he will win the seat in Humber-Bay of Islands. (Colleen Connors CBC )

He said he's been a liberal all his life and will run on liberal ideas and values. But he's not a Liberal, and will be running independently and paying for his campaign out of pocket.

"You ask for donations, which you always do. I have a great group of volunteers who put in a lot of their spare time into it. Hopefully I can use the signs that I had before," he said.

Joyce said a campaign can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $40,000, but he hopes to have some things, like a headquarters, donated in kind.

Joyce travelled to Uganda in February with the HOPE — Helping Orphans Prosper through Education — Foundation. (Eddie Joyce/Facebook)

Raise money

"I have a lot of people lined up with donations waiting for the election to be dropped to write the cheque," he said.

"You can't raise money until an election is called, but I'm very confident we can run it on a shoe string budget but still run a great campaign."

Since the harassment scandal broke, Joyce has sat in the house as an Independent.

In February, he travelled to Uganda with the HOPE — Helping Orphans Prosper through Education — Foundation, helping to distribute shoes, clothes and school supplies to those in need, and has been attending municipal and community functions in his district.

"I'm from the old school where I still enjoy helping people, helping town councils," he said.

"As long as I still have that feeling and the people in the Humber-Bay of Islands puts their confidence in me, I still enjoy it. It's a pleasure to be invited to the personal functions, the birthdays and celebrations."

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