Hal Perry will continue as the Official Opposition leader in the upcoming session of the provincial legislative assembly, despite the recent change in leadership within the P.E.I. Liberal Party. Robert Mitchell assumed leadership of the party earlier this month but does not currently hold a seat in the legislature.
Perry, representing Tignish-Palmer Road, took over as the party’s interim leader in 2023 following Sharon Cameron’s resignation after she failed to secure a seat in the provincial general election that year.
Mitchell praised Perry’s performance in holding the government accountable and expressed his intention to work closely with him during the fall session of the legislature, commencing on November 4. Mitchell emphasized their solid working relationship and his firsthand knowledge of the issues facing Islanders from his summer campaigning.
Furthermore, Mitchell confirmed his candidacy for a seat in the upcoming provincial general election, scheduled no later than October 4, 2027, under P.E.I.’s fixed election date system. He also mentioned that an election could be called earlier than the set date.
The Liberal Party currently holds four seats in the legislative assembly, with Carolyn Simpson’s recent victory in the District 9 byelection in Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park. Prior to this win, the Liberals and the Green Party of P.E.I. were tied at three seats each since February 2024, when Matt MacFarlane won a byelection in District 19, Borden-Kinkora. The decision on which party would form the Official Opposition was made by Darlene Compton, who was the Speaker at the time.
Mitchell also disclosed that Simpson would take on critic roles for education, economic development, and social development within the party.