PEI: The first minority government in provincial history

The voters elected Dennis King’s Progressive Conservatives as the first minority government in provincial history. The election saw a breakthrough from the Green Party, now the Official Opposition, while the previously governing Liberals were left standing in third place.

 

Several pollsters had placed the Greens in the lead heading into the election, which if they won, would have been the party’s first provincial government in Canada. However, the PC’s won 12 seats out of the 27-seat legislature, just two seats shy of forming a majority government.

 

The PC platform commits to almost $15 million in tax cuts and $51.9 million in new spending over the first year. Tax cuts include reducing the small business tax rate from 3.5 per cent to 1 per cent and an increase of the basic personal exemption to $12,000.

 

The platform does not mention carbon taxation or carbon pricing, which new PC Leader Dennis King said he opposes. King has said he wants to work with Ottawa to find a made-in-P.E.I. solution.

 

The PC’s have also pledged to spend $1.8 million on home renovation and repair programs for seniors, people with disabilities and families.

 

For more information on the PC platform, click here.