PCs plan leadership convention, prepare for next P.E.I. election
'We have to give them a reason to look at us,' says P.E.I. PC Party president
The P.E.I. Progressive Conservative Party is looking to get a head start on preparations for the next provincial election.
Step one for the party is to find a new leader. The party has announced a convention will be held in the fall of 2017.
The party is looking to avoid the situation it found itself in early in 2015, when it tried to put off choosing a new leader until the eve of the next provincial election, only to have government trigger the election early.
The Tories pushed the date of their convention ahead, but party president Pat Banks said ultimately, "it didn't get us the time that we needed to get our leader out there and get well known. So it was a big effect, and that of course was major in our decision this time around."
The last permanent leader of the PC Party, Rob Lantz, failed to win his seat in the 2015 election. After trying for a time to lead the party from outside the legislature, he resigned as leader last fall.
No candidates declared so far
Banks said a convention in the fall of 2017 would give time for leadership candidates from both inside and outside the PC caucus to put campaigns together.
The party has set up a candidate selection committee to conduct interviews.
"We've had individuals that have expressed interest, both inside the caucus and outside, but no one has put their name forward yet, and I wouldn't really expect that until we announce the actual date," said Banks.
A specific date and venue for the convention haven't been determined yet.
Eight members currently in legislature
There are eight members of the PC caucus currently sitting as the official Opposition.
Both James Aylward and Darlene Compton ran for the leadership last time around. Compton said she hasn't ruled out another try. Aylward said he hadn't given the issue any thought.
Other PC MLAs have been approached.
For his part, interim leader Jamie Fox says he's not interested in becoming permanent leader.
"I made a commitment to the party and the people that my focus is on a clear direction of moving forward and staying on top of government's actions," Fox said, on his decision to become interim leader.
If he wanted to become permanent leader he would have to give up his interim position a minimum of six months before the convention.
Party has work to do, says president
It's not just a new leader the party is looking for. Banks said the party wants to develop a platform well ahead of the next election. He said the lack of a permanent leader is making difficult for the party to define itself in the eyes of voters.
Banks said the party's performance in the recent Summerside-Wilmot byelection — the PCs lost vote share compared with 2015, while the Green Party made big gains — shows the party has work to do.
"The Liberals didn't gain a whole lot, we dropped a bit, but the Greens did increase. I think that's something that we as a party, and both mainline parties have to look at, in that people are not maybe necessarily looking at us right now, and we have to give them a reason to look at us."
Election date up in the air
According to the province's Elections Act the next provincial election should be held Oct. 7, 2019. But a federal election expected that month would push P.E.I.'s election to April 2020 — according to the fixed dates set out in the province's Elections Act.
The Tories aren't putting much stock in those fixed dates this time around, and say they want to be prepared for a possible election as early as the spring of 2019.
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