Liberals earn second mandate from electorate

As expected, Prince Edward Islanders on Monday handed Robert Ghiz and his Liberal Party candidates a strong second mandate. But in their wisdom, Island voters also elected a credible opposition to keep a close watch on the second-term Liberal government.

The Liberals won 22 seats in the P.E.I. Legislature compared to five for the Progressive Conservatives. That’s certainly a comfortable win for the Liberals, but thankfully it’s a far cry from earlier predictions of a sweep for the Big Red Machine. A sweep would have been good for no one, including the Liberal Party.

Premier Robert Ghiz certainly has to be pleased with the result. He can proudly point to the fact he and his MLAs governed during tough economic times and only lost one seat from the 2007 election when Liberals won 23 seats compared to four for the PCs.

However, the premier can’t be happy at the fact two of his cabinet ministers lost — Neil LeClair in District 27 (Tignish-Palmer Road) and Allan Campbell in District 1 (Souris-Elmira). Both lost painfully close elections; LeClair by 33 votes and Campbell by 30.

That both come from the Island’s far western and the far eastern region, plus the fact that most of the PC wins came from rural ridings, adds credence to the Conservative claim that the Liberal actions and policies are dividing rural and urban Prince Edward Island. The Liberals dominated in Charlottetown and Summerside, although they also did well in rural ridings outside of Kings County.

Conservative Leader Olive Crane deserves praise for making the most of a tough situation. She inherited a divided party after the 2007 provincial election and increased its seat total in the next one. And she did this while trying to oust a first-term government, something Islanders have historically been hesitant to do.

Crane may also have finally silenced her critics who didn’t think she could lead the party to any success — or even keep her own seat.

In the fight between P.E.I.’s two political powerhouses, the Green Party more than held its own. Unofficially, it received 4.4 per cent of the vote, up from 3 per cent in the 2007 election. Green Party Leader Sharon Labchuk got just under 13 per cent of the votes in Charlottetown’s District 12.

There wasn’t as much progress for the Island NDP. The party polled 2.0 per cent of the vote in 2007 and this time increased its percentage to 3.2 per cent. It’s progress, but it’s painfully slow.

In this the year of the national NDP orange wave, many people were disappointed with the NDP’s lack of preparation for the fixed election date. In fact, the day the election was called the NDP did not have a nominated candidate.

The fifth party in the election, the Island Party, failed to attract one per cent of the vote or distinguish itself from the other parties.

Overnight observations are fraught with danger, but the Provincial Nominee Program didn’t appear to sway voters either way. There certainly was no rush to throw the bad guys out, as the Tories were urging. As a Guardian CRA poll confirmed last week, supporters of the two old-line parties see the program in a different light.

In returning the Liberals with a comfortable majority, Islanders are clearing saying they are not ready for change. And that’s understandable. The Ghiz government has been popular and has also benefited from federal stimulus funding. That may become more difficult in the coming months as the economic storm clouds continue to thicken over Canada. Controlling the provincial debt is another challenge this government and others will face.

But today Liberal eyes are smiling, as well they should. They campaigned hard and were rewarded with a second mandate. By electing five people to the legislature in opposition roles, the Island’s electorate has ensured our seat of democracy will remain relevant and a place of great importance.