And then there are five
The field is set and so let the campaigning begin. Five Progressive Conservative hopefuls are already busy seeking support they hope will carry them to the party leadership Feb. 9 in Charlottetown. It’s the party’s third leadership convention since 2015 and the second time in that period where candidates will battle snow and cold as much as the governing Liberals. The early start of winter made sure of that.
It will be a juggling act for all candidates to schedule door-knocking, meetings, rallies and debates around poor weather and winter driving. But after successfully surviving a campaign in the winter from hell in 2015, it can survive anything.
Once James Aylward announced his plans to step down in mid-September, the party had no choice – it had to get a leader in place at least two months before the next provincial election, widely expected for April or early May.
On the upside, that opened the race up for newcomers who offer the advantages of a fresh face for the party on its way back to power.
Despite nagging leadership issues, and the surge in Green party strength, the PCs continue to hold a solid block of support, as seen in the latest Corporate Research Associates (CRA) poll Tuesday. Momentum from the leadership convention will provide a boost and what was seen as a two-way race will very likely be a tight, hard-fought three-way battle next spring. The more interesting CRA poll might well be the one done in February right after the PC convention. If there is a surge, and assuredly there will be, it might be enough to propel the Tories back into contention and perhaps victory.
The five candidates offer an interesting mix of youth, experience and ideals that will give party supporters a lot to consider and debate. There is a much-needed female candidate and Sarah Stewart-Clark comes with impressive credentials. The university associate professor came to the public’s attention through a series of riveting mental health cases she brought to the public’s attention.
Alan Dale sees himself as a blank canvas waiting to serve Islanders, as he had served his country during a lengthy naval career. He was the first to join the race and has crafted his leadership around respect, trust and listening to Islanders
Shawn Driscoll has been in the party’s backrooms both provincially and federally and doesn’t shy away from controversy by criticizing insiders who he thinks favour candidate Dennis King.
Kevin Arsenault earned a profile with blogs and opinion articles on land issues, PNP and e-gaming. He was also expected to push a very right-wing view on abortion but reversed himself that issue, suggesting it’s a federal matter and a done deal on P.E.I.
Then there’s Mr. King, perceived as the party’s choice and early front-runner. He knows insiders and grassroots from his work with Mike Curry and former premier Pat Binns. A CBC radio political panel provided a profile to present himself as a reasonable party spokesman with a strong grasp of the issues.
As one political observer noted this week, Mr. King is funny, outgoing, friendly and likeable - all things our current premier is not.