Rob Lantz confirms he won't run for permanent leadership of P.E.I. Progressive Conservatives
Social Sharing
Premier Rob Lantz says he won't seek the permanent leadership of P.E.I.'s Progressive Conservative Party, after previously saying people had been asking him to run for the position.
The news came in a social media post Wednesday afternoon.
"After much consideration, the best decision for Islanders and the PC Party is to continue my role as interim leader until the party selects a new permanent leader," the message said. "Until that time, I am dedicated to continuing to serve as premier."
His office later confirmed to CBC News that the post was real and that Lantz will not run for the leadership.
Lantz became P.E.I.'s premier on Feb. 21 as he took over the interim leadership of the party in the wake of Dennis King's sudden resignation from both roles in February. King went on to accept a federal appointment as Canada's ambassador to Ireland.
Lantz had initially said he wasn't interested in the job permanently, telling CBC News: "I may very much enjoy doing this job and regret that I don't put myself forward for that permanent leadership."
He released a statement in late May saying he would no longer rule out doing just that.
"Many Islanders have approached me about reconsidering my stance on running for the leadership of the PC Party," he said in the statement. "I owe it to those who have been encouraging me to have a conversation with them and hear what they have to say — and that's what I am doing right now."
WATCH | As P.E.I. PCs work on leadership convention plan, Premier Rob Lantz says he's being urged to run:
As P.E.I. PCs work on leadership convention plan, Premier Rob Lantz says he's being urged to run
14 days ago
Duration 2:31
The interim leader of Prince Edward Island's Progressive Conservative Party says he's not ruling out a run for the permanent leadership of his party. That's a change from a few months back. The PCs haven't set a date for their leadership convention yet, says party president Sydney Gallant (shown), but that isn't stopping the talk in Island political circles. CBC's Wayne Thibodeau has more.
The latest message, on Wednesday, seems to indicate that Lantz has made up his mind for good.
"I appreciate the support from those who encouraged me to reconsider my original position," it said.
Until a new leader is chosen, it added, "The province needs someone focused on the day-to-day job of governing, with a seat at the national table, delivering on the priorities of Islanders, and I am committed to doing just that."
Other candidates for post
Montague-Kilmuir MLA Cory Deagle and Stratford lawyer Mark Ledwell have announced leadership bids, and the party's president, Sydney Gallant, has said a party search committee is actively recruiting candidates.
No date has been announced for the leadership convention.
That's partly because two byelections must be called by August at the latest in districts formerly held by King (Brackley-Hunter River) and former education and early years minister Natalie Jameson (Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park).
The provincial Liberals are also without a permanent leader, with MLA Hal Perry holding the job on an interim basis. That party's leadership convention is scheduled for Oct. 4.
P.E.I.'s Green Party chose a permanent leader this past weekend, with Borden-Kinkora MLA Matt MacFarlane receiving 507 votes to clinch the job. Former Green Party MLA Hannah Bell was the only other candidate, earning 147 votes.
The New Democratic Party of Prince Edward Island, which does not hold any seats in the legislature, is led by Michelle Neil.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Globe and Mail
15 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Ottawa extends refugee jobs pilot program on day it was due to expire
Ottawa has extended a pilot program that matches skilled refugees with job vacancies in Canada on the day it was due to lapse, after an outcry from employers, including universities, about its imminent expiry. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has extended its Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot, which was founded in 2018 as a route to permanent residence, until the end of the year, saying it is helping employers in critical sectors meet labour market shortages. Since 2019, 970 people have come to Canada through the pilot program, which offers a route to permanent residence for refugees with skills Canadian employers want. The decision to extend the program until Dec. 31 was welcomed by employers. Earlier this week, after The Globe and Mail disclosed how the pilot program was about to expire, universities wrote to Immigration Minister Lena Diab urging her to extend the program. The former immigration minister Marc Miller had said the pilot would be made permanent last year, but only days before it was due to expire employers were distraught about hearing no word from the government about its future. Carleton University, based in Ottawa, has hired a refugee from the civil war in Sudan as a visiting professor, to help with research into artificial intelligence, through the pilot pathway. Abeer, who fled to Somalia, holds a PhD in wireless communications and network engineering. She has researched the impact of AI and machine-learning-based algorithms on wireless communication systems. The Globe and Mail is not publishing her full name owing to fears for the safety of family members in her home country. She is still waiting for biometric checks and the university said it was keen for her to arrive soon to help with a research project being run by a Carleton professor. Carney's aim to cut immigration marred by undercounting of temporary migrants, economists warn Norah Vollmer, manager of faculty affairs at Carleton, said the university is 'very pleased to hear that the EMPP is extended.' She hoped the pilot program would be put 'on a permanent footing' and that processing times for applications to come here from refugees who have been offered jobs would be sped up. IRCC said in a statement announcing the pilot's continuation that the program had helped fill job vacancies, including in construction. More than 30 per cent of refugees accepted to come here through the pilot are working in health care. From 2019 to the end of March 2025, 970 people have been admitted to Canada, under the program, it said. It said it would cap applications for refugees offered jobs at 950 this year. Groups mount legal challenge against Ottawa over refugee treaty with U.S. 'The extension will allow more workers in essential sectors such as health care to benefit from the pilot's pathway to permanent residence and continue to contribute to our economy,' it said. Dana Wagner, co-founder of TalentLift, a non-profit international recruitment company that matches displaced people with employers, said the renewal was 'fantastic' but said the cap at 950 was 'very low' with 'no word about a permanent program.' 'It will be important to quickly move from a pilot to a permanent program as the Liberals have pledged,' she said. 'We want to see predictability, fast processing times that work for employers, and room to grow – this is a demand-driven program, and levels should reflect Canada's skills demand and the potential of talented individuals in refugee situations to meet it.'
Globe and Mail
15 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Government, union representing public servants to restart contract talks
Two years ago, more than 120,000 federal public servants went on strike after negotiations broke down. Now, the union representing those workers is going back to the bargaining table with the government with the goal of securing greater job security and remote work options for its members. The Public Service Alliance of Canada says next week's initial meetings offer its first opportunity to present priorities identified by members, such as better wages, greater job security and stronger provisions for remote work. Those issues were all front and centre during the 2023 strike, which saw public servants spend almost two weeks on picket lines across the country. Sharon DeSousa, national president of PSAC, said contract discussions can take anywhere from weeks to years. She said the union's bargaining teams are 'ready to set the tone' and get a good contract, adding that striking is always the 'last resort.' The union said the initial talks are the government's first chance to show it's ready to make meaningful improvements to public servants' working conditions. 'We're about improving the working conditions and we're hoping that the government is interested as well,' DeSousa said. 'These are the same workers who protect our coasts, assist businesses and farmers, and deliver vital social programs and respond to emergencies like wildfires. 'We're hoping that we're able to sit down and deal with the main issues at hand.' Rola Salem, a spokesperson for the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, said in an email that the government looks forward to a 'productive round of collective bargaining' with the Public Service Alliance of Canada. 'We are committed to negotiating in good faith and to reaching agreements that are fair to employees and reasonable for Canadians,' she said. David McLaughlin, a former provincial official in Manitoba and president and CEO of the Institute on Governance, said the union's requests seem to be a 'continuation' of the last round of bargaining. 'I would not expect that the current government would have a radically different view of how to treat those issues,' McLaughlin said. 'I'd be very surprised if they reverse their position on remote work. They're trying to hold the line, as they did last time.' McLaughlin said he expects the government will put some more money toward wages. He added that job security likely will be the biggest issue at the table for both the union and the government, which has committed to 'capping' the size of the public service.
CTV News
17 minutes ago
- CTV News
NS sees little interest for uranium exploration
Atlantic Watch Nova Scotia has received no bids for uranium exploration in the province yet.
