‘More opportunity ahead’
Premier Wade MacLauchlan says he will run again
P.E.I. Premier Wade MacLauchlan says he will run in the next provincial election, which is scheduled for October 2019.
In a year-end interview with The Guardian’s chief political reporter, Teresa Wright, MacLauchlan said he looks forward to once again throwing his hat in the ring. MacLauchlan, who was sworn in as the Island’s 32nd premier in February of 2015, said while he’s happy with his government’s work so far, he said there’s still a lot to be done.
“I believe that Prince Edward Island is the ‘Mighty Island’ and I want more Prince Edward Islanders and all Prince Edward Islanders to share in that and see how we can keep building going forward,” he told Wright.
“There’s a lot more progress to be made and a lot more opportunity ahead, and I want to be a part of that.”
During the fall sitting of the legislature, the premier was asked to commit to the fixed election date, as laid out in the Election Act.
“What I did commit to is to go with the rules that exist for our election dates,” he told Wright during the interview. While the election date is fixed for October 2019, MacLauchlan said that within the P.E.I. Election Act, there’s reference to what would happen if a provincial election falls at the same time as a federal election. Wright pressed the premier on the issue, asking if Islanders will see an election earlier than 2019.
“What I will say, and have said, is that this will be done in terms of and in a way that’s consistent with the letter of the law and the spirit of the law, which is that Prince Edward Islanders should have a great general election at a time when they can best express their views.”
The premier made the comments during the interview, which will appear online in a video in three segments Dec. 27, 28 and 29.