An eventful political week
There has been a seismic shift in the P.E.I. political landscape over the last seven days.
The first change was expected. For the first time since the resignation of Olive Crane back in late 2012, the Progressive Conservatives now have the same leader both inside and outside Province House. Stratford-Kinlock MLA James Aylward prevailed in the leadership contest over Rustico-Emerald MLA Brad Trivers. Aylward now faces the task of convincing Islanders he is a potential premier and his first task will be to render a strong performance as Leader of the Opposition when the legislature opens Nov. 14.
The other political earthquake caught virtually everybody by surprise. Just minutes after Doug Currie finished addressing members of the P.E.I. Teachers Federation, a news release was issued saying he had resigned from political life. The veteran cabinet minister tried to convince Islanders he had been thinking about leaving for some time and he was convinced Oct. 19 around 11 a.m. was the moment the stars all aligned.
This is a political iceberg and, like most icebergs, most of it is still underwater. It may be some time, if ever, before all the pieces of the puzzle can be put together. Currie was one of the strongest performers in the MacLauchlan cabinet and he will be missed when the government goes back to the legislature. His successor, Charlottetown-Brighton MLA Jordan Brown, is certainly viewed as a rising star in the party ever since he knocked off then Conservative leader Rob Lantz in the 2015 election, but it will take him some time to get up to speed on all of the issues facing the education department.
While the premier has six months to call the byelection, it looks like voters in Charlotte town Park dale will be going to the polls sooner rather than later. The Liberals and Green party will both be picking their candidates Monday while the progressive Conservatives have a nominating convention slated for Wednesday. That comes despite the fact there has been no official byelection call.
On one level, the rush is understandable. Those six months include both the Christmas holiday period and winter. While votes have been held in winter before, they aren’t exactly the norm. Freezing temperatures, icy sidewalks and snow drifts are obstacles candidates would rather not have on the campaign trail, not to mention the fact voters are less likely to linger at the door when it’s -20 or so outside.
If the election doesn’t take place immediately, it would likely be sometime in late March or early April before it was called. In that scenario, the constituency could be without a representative for the better part of two house sessions. A November vote would mean the new MLA could actually take his seat before the end of the fall session (depending on how long the house sits) and the premier can rightly say the timing of the resignation didn’t allow him to move quickly enough to fill the vacancy before the house opening.
With a political prize up for the taking, it should add some extra intensity to the fall sitting.