Prince Edward Island.

• Author: Johnston, Marian
• Position: Legislative Reports

The Sixty-first General Assembly was dissolved on September 2, 2003. A Provincial General Election was held on Monday, September 29, 2003. Voter turnout, at just over 83%, was down only slightly (1.6%) from the General Election in 2000, a reduction attributed to the devastation caused by Hurricane Juan which hit the Province in the early hours of election day.

Although the hurricane resulted in no serious injuries, the province experienced widespread power-outages and property damage. Schools, government offices and businesses were closed due to thousands of fallen trees and damaged power lines.

A full two-thirds of the polls remained without power for the entire day, with ballots being counted by kerosene lantern and candlelight. District 27 Tignish-Deblois achieved the highest percentage of votes cast at 94.58%, followed closely by District 2 Morell-Fortune Bay, and District 3 Georgetown-Baldwin's Road at 92% and 91%, respectively.

The Progressive Conservative Party received 54.29% of the popular vote, resulting in 23 seats; the Liberals received 42.66% of the popular vote, translating into 4 seats; while the New Democratic Party candidates received 3.06% of the popular vote and were unsuccessful in winning a seat.

Former Speaker Mildred Dover, was appointed Minister of Education in October 2003. Ms. Dover previously served in cabinet as Minister of Health and Social Services with Ministerial Responsibility for Seniors and Housing from 1996-2000. In May 2000 she was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. Ms. Dover was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in November 1996, representing the district of Tracadie-Fort Augustus, and subsequently was re-elected in the general elections of 2000 and 2003. She brings a wealth of experience to her new portfolio. During her lengthy teaching career, she was principal of two schools, a member of the Board of Governors of the PEI Teachers' Federation and an active participant in school and student committees.

New Cabinet

Prince Edward Islanders were introduced to a new provincial cabinet on October 9, 2003. Three new members were brought into cabinet while most existing ministers were given new responsibilities. They are:

* Jamie Ballem, Minister of Environment and Energy and Attorney General;

* Philip Brown, Minister of Tourism;

* Mildred Dover, Minister of Education;

* Chester Gillan, Minister of Health and Social Services and Minister Responsible for Seniors;

* Kevin MacAdam, Minister of...