P.E.I. Green, Liberal leaders will take time to reflect before making 'important' decisions

Green Party Leader Peter Bevan-Baker walked into the Coles Building in Charlottetown on Tuesday and looked around the empty room designated for Prince Edward Island's Official Opposition.

It was once bustling with eight MLAs and seven staffers.

Now, a day after the Progressive Conservatives cruised to a majority election victory and the Greens lost their Official Opposition status to the Liberals, it was just him and MLA Karla Bernard, the only two Green members to be re-elected Monday.

"It was hard walking in here," Bevan-Baker said. "Karla and I went into our old caucus room together, and looking at the empty seats around the table — that was a poignant moment."

Bernard, who will be back as the representative for District 12: Charlottetown-Victoria Park, said she will miss her former colleagues. 

"It just makes me sad. Those voices — some of the strongest MLAs, I dare say — are no longer with us. That's a bit hard to take."

The Green and Liberal parties on P.E.I. took time to exhale Tuesday and reflect on how the next four years will look for them.

The Liberals managed to keep three seats to take over as Official Opposition, but they could hardly call it a victory. They had the lowest share of the popular vote in their history — just 17 per cent — and their leader, Sharon Cameron, failed to win her seat.

That calls into doubt her future as leader, though in her post-election speech Monday night, she made no indication of stepping down and vowed she would continue to be a "pain in the ass" to Premier Dennis King's PCs.

I'm feeling raw. I'm still hurting from yesterday. And that's not a good place or time to make a very important decision like this.— Peter Bevan-Baker

Cameron, who became leader only in November, echoed that sentiment Tuesday. She said party members will meet soon, but for now, everyone needs some rest after a busy campaign.

"The day after election day is traditionally quiet, a time to say thanks and clean up from the campaign, but party members will be busy again soon with plans for the future," she said.

Bevan-Baker, who  has been leader of the Island Green Party since 2012, was re-elected in District 17: New Haven-Rocky Point, where Cameron also chose to run.

On Tuesday, he said it's too early for him to think about whether to step down. 

"I'm feeling raw. I'm still hurting from yesterday. And that's not a good place or time to make a very important decision like this."

Michele Beaton, a vocal health critic for the Green Party who lost her seat in District 5: Mermaid-Stratford, said there are some lessons to be learned.

"When you have less than 70 per cent of Islanders voting, that's unheard of here on P.E.I. So I think we could've done a better job of getting out the vote on that final day to make sure everybody got to have their say."

Robert Henderson, one of three Liberal MLAs re-elected along with Hal Perry and Gord McNeilly, promised to form an effective Official Opposition and keep a close eye on the PCs. 

"If they want to get rather boastful and think that this victory means that they have the ability to do whatever they want, we'll take them on at that," he said Tuesday from his district of O'Leary-Inverness.

Bevan-Baker, meanwhile, said the sting of the election will eventually subside.

"I don't expect it will go away anytime soon. But we'll be OK. We'll move forward. We'll rebuild."