Prince Edward Island.

AuthorJohnston, Marian
PositionLegislative Reports

Sixty-fourth General Assembly

The Sixty-fourth General Assembly was dissolved on April 6, 2015, with a provincial general election scheduled for May 4, 2015. According to the Rules of the Legislative Assembly, the new General Assembly must commence within 60 days after declaration day, May 20,2015, in order to elect a Speaker. The Assembly will meet in the new chamber of the Hon. George Coles Building, the first time a sitting has been held outside of Province House since the building was completed in 1847.

MLA retirement

Ron MacKinley, the longest-serving member of the Legislative Assembly at the time of dissolution of the Sixty-fourth General Assembly, announced his retirement from public life in February 2015. He was first elected as member of the Legislative Assembly in a by-election in December 1985, and was subsequently re-elected in every general election since 1986. In April 2000, as the sole member elected from the Liberal Party, he became Leader of the Opposition, a position he held until the 2003 provincial general election when he was replaced by Robert Ghiz. Following the 2007 provincial general election, which returned a Liberal majority, he was appointed Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal in the Ghiz government. His most recent appointment was on October 18, 2011, when he became Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development. His decision not to re-offer in the 2015 provincial general election marks the end of an era in Prince Edward Island politics.

New Leaders for the Major Political Parties

Wade MacLauchlan became leader of the Liberal Party of Prince Edward Island on February 21,2015. He had announced his candidacy for the position in late November, following the announcement by Premier Ghiz on November 15, 2014, of his resignation. Mr. MacLauchlan was the sole candidate for the position. Prior to entering provincial politics, he served as president of the University of Prince Edward Island from 1999 to 2011. Earlier he was Dean of Law at the University of New Brunswick and a professor of law at Dalhousie University. Mr. MacLauchlan was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 2008 and was awarded the Order of Prince Edward Island in 2014. He was sworn in as premier on February 23, 2015.

The Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island also selected a new leader. On February 28,2015, former Charlottetown City Councillor, Rob Lantz, was elected, replacing Steven Myers, who held the...

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