P.E.I. Liberal leader fails to win a seat, but party will still form Official Opposition

Liberal candidates won only three seats in Monday's provincial election on Prince Edward Island, but that will be enough to replace the Green Party as the province's Official Opposition.

Liberal LeaderSharon Cameron was not among the winning candidates, and will not have a seat in the legislature. In a speech late Monday night, however, she said she still plans to hold government accountable.

"I'm still going to be a pain in the ass. I'll be their pain in the ass somewhere, but I will be a pain in the ass."

Cameron said she is confidentthe three Liberal MLAs will hold King's "feet to the fire," especially when it comes to fixing the health-care system.

"We better make them pay attention and we'll help our opposition make sure they do.... We'll be much, much stronger as we move toward 2027."

The Liberals finished third in the popular vote at about 17 per cent, compared to 21 per cent for the Greens. The Liberals earned 29 per cent of the popular votein the 2019 election, while the Greens had 30 per cent.

"The thing that I'm most grateful for is that we're back," Cameron said. "It's fair to say this is not the night we hoped for when the campaign began, but going into this election, we all knew it was going to be really, really hard."

'Some serious work to do'

Keeping their seats were LiberalsHal Perry in District 27: Tignish-Palmer Road; Robert Henderson in District 25: O'Leary-Inverness; and Gord McNeilly in District 14: Charlottetown-West Royalty.

McNeilly said his feelings about the results were mixed,"but I know one thing: The people of P.E.I. are not as happy as these results would seem. I've been to the doors. There's a lot of pain out there. So I don't really know how any of us can really celebrate.

"We've got some serious work to do."

The people of P.E.I. are not as happy as these results would seem. I've been to the doors. There's a lot of pain out there.Gord McNeilly

McNeilly pledged to do whatever it takes to hold the PC government to account as a member of the Official Opposition, citing health care and affordability as "crushing" issues in his district.

"We know what we have to do. I'm so excited to be there with Hal [Perry] and Rob Henderson. They taught me a lot, and without them I don't have a chance tonight .. We'll work together to do whatever we can for our districts, and now for Prince Edward Island."

McNeilly said he and the other two sitting MLAswill need to have a conversation about what happens with the party's leadership on the floor of the legislature, given that Cameron didn't win her seat.

Ran against Green leader

Before the campaign began on March 6, Cameron made a strategic decision to run against Green Party Leader Peter Bevan-Baker in District 17: New Haven-Rocky Point. On Monday night, shefinished a distant third behind Bevan-Baker and PC candidate Donalda Docherty.

Cameron said she had no regrets: "It didn't pay off tonight, but we'll see what the future holds."

The Liberals had four seats when the election was called by PC Leader Dennis King, who will now have a second term in government.

The Liberals lost District 24: Evangeline-Miscouche, which had been held by longtime MLA Sonny Gallant, to PC candidate Gilles Arsenault. Gallant did not reoffer due to health reasons. The Liberal candidate who replaced him in the district,Pat MacLellan, finished second.

• INTERACTIVE: Results from the 2023 P.E.I. provincial election