PEI

P.E.I. PC Party holds town hall amidst upcoming leadership race

E-gaming, school closures and health care major points of concern at public meeting.

E-gaming, school closures and health care major points of concern

MLAs James Aylward (left) and Steven Myers take questions at a PC town hall Tuesday night. (Nicole Williams/CBC)

About 30 people turned out for a town hall meeting Tuesday in Charlottetown of the Progressive Conservative Association of P.E.I. led by MLAs Steven Myers and James Aylward.

E-gaming, school closures and health care were some of the major points of concern.

"There's a lot of people on the ground that aren't happy with the current government," said PC education critic Myers.

"In 2014 there was a lot of people unhappy with the current administration, and here we are at the start of 2017 and we're kind of in the same mind set," he said.

James Aylward, PC critic for health and wellness, said the party is using this time to engage with Islanders.

"We're four short weeks from being back at the legislative assembly," said Aylward. "We want to gauge what people are thinking."

Concerns over e-gaming, school closures and health care became the evening's focus. (Nicole Williams/CBC)

Myers said Islanders had a right to be disappointed in the current government.

"The man that was supposed to bring openness and transparency and a new way of doing business has really done nothing to improve anybody's lives on Prince Edward Island," said Myers.

Upcoming leadership vote

The town hall comes as the party is set to elect a new leader this spring and the province approaches the mid-point of its electoral mandate.

"It's important for our party as we move toward leadership for people to come out and see what's being said," said Myers. 

Leadership selection will begin on April 3.