P.E.I.'s Liberal MPs promise to tackle key issues facing the Island
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P.E.I. is once again painted red on the political map as all four of the province's federal ridings were won by Liberal candidates in Monday's federal election.
Three incumbents and one rookie will represent the Island in Ottawa, and all four say they're ready to get to work and address key challenges facing Islanders — from the cost of living to concerns in the fisheries and agriculture sectors.
Bobby Morrissey
Liberal incumbent Bobby Morrissey retained his seat in the Egmont riding after what looked like a tight race with Conservative candidate Logan McLellan after polls closed.
Heading into his fourth term, Morrissey said one of his top priorities is addressing growing concerns among his constituents on the future of P.E.I.'s wild oyster fishery.
Concerns about high oyster mortalities caused by the MSX parasite have fishers worried as the season is set to begin May 1. Industry members have been calling for urgent government action and support.
"Fishers are going to have to be looked after, and I'm going to go to bat for them," Morrissey told CBC's Island Morning.
While the Conservatives did not win any seats on P.E.I., they made significant gains in voter support, particularly in Egmont, where the race was tight at several points.
"That shows that people are paying attention here, and sometimes some people felt that the government that I was part of was not listening to them closely enough on some issues," he said, citing the oyster industry concerns.
"When certain segments of the population feel isolated from the government in power, then the government has to do a better job at listening."
Kent MacDonald
Rookie candidate Kent MacDonald will be the next MP in the eastern P.E.I. riding of Cardigan, the only district without an incumbent running after longtime MP Lawrence MacAulay retired.
MacDonald won more than 56 per cent of the vote.
Liberal candidate Kent MacDonald wins P.E.I.'s Cardigan riding by large margin
He said he feels ready to represent the people of Cardigan and the concerns he heard while campaigning.
"We have to keep working on affordability. There's certainly concerns in the fishing industry, around DFO and the regulations. Pricing is not great in the lobster industry. So all those things add up to frustration with the voters. I'll address them when I go to Ottawa," he said.
MacDonald, a dairy farmer from the Souris area, said he feels well positioned to stand up for Canada as the issue of supply management — which relies on the control of imports and enables the dairy, poultry and egg sectors to limit the supply of their products to what Canadians are expected to consume — once again comes under fire by U.S. President Donald Trump.
"My experience will bode well for me, having been involved in associations in the dairy industry, so governing will just be a bigger scale of those same activities," he said.
Sean Casey
Liberal incumbent Sean Casey will remain the member of Parliament for P.E.I.'s Charlottetown riding, having earned about 65 per cent of the vote in Monday's federal election.
Casey, who was first elected in 2011 and has represented the people of Charlottetown for the last four terms, said Islanders in the capital city are anxious about some of the same issues as the rest of Canada — affordability, access to health care, climate change, and ongoing tensions with the U.S.
"None of these things are going to be resolved overnight," Casey said
"But my sense is that Islanders, specifically, they get it that it isn't something that's going to happen overnight. They want to be reassured that there's a steady hand at the wheel and a methodical approach to each one of these problems."
With the Liberals under Mark Carney likely to form a minority government, Casey said collaboration with other parties will be key.
"I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing," he said. "I'm confident that with Prime Minister Carney, with the stated will of the electorate, that we will be able to get things done."
Heath MacDonald
Liberal incumbent Heath MacDonald will be going back to Ottawa as the MP for the central P.E.I. riding of Malpeque after securing about 57 per cent of the vote.
MacDonald said he looks forward to continuing to represent his constituents, also citing concerns about affordability, health care access and Trump's tariff threats as top priorities for his second term.
"People are certainly looking for political parties to restore some political stability, and people are tired of the rhetoric we've seen south of the border. I think people want us to work together for the betterment of Canada and, of course, Islanders as well," MacDonald said.
Reflecting on his first term, MacDonald said the learning curve was steep as he had a lot to learn about Parliament's protocols and procedures as well as building networks, but this time, he's already familiar with the procedures and relationships needed to get things done.
When asked whether he believes P.E.I. should have a seat at the cabinet table, given that former Cardigan MP Lawrence MacAulay held ministerial positions under the Trudeau government, MacDonald said he believes the province deserves representation in cabinet.
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