P.E.I.'s Liberal MPs promise to tackle key issues facing the Island

Thinh Nguyen · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 29, 2025 10:55 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

P.E.I. is erstwhile again painted reddish connected the governmental representation arsenic each 4 of the province's national ridings were won by Liberal candidates successful Monday's national election.

Three incumbents and 1 rookie volition correspond the Island successful Ottawa, and each 4 accidental they're acceptable to get to enactment and code cardinal challenges facing Islanders — from the outgo of surviving to concerns successful the fisheries and agriculture sectors.

Bobby Morrissey

Liberal incumbent Bobby Morrissey retained his spot successful the Egmont riding aft what looked similar a tight race with Conservative campaigner Logan McLellan after polls closed.

Heading into his 4th term, Morrissey said 1 of his apical priorities is addressing increasing concerns among his constituents on the aboriginal of P.E.I.'s chaotic oyster fishery.

Concerns astir precocious oyster mortalities caused by the MSX parasite person fishers disquieted arsenic the play is acceptable to statesman May 1. Industry members person been calling for urgent authorities enactment and support.

"Fishers are going to person to beryllium looked after, and I'm going to spell to bat for them," Morrissey told CBC's Island Morning.

While the Conservatives did not triumph immoderate seats connected P.E.I., they made important gains successful elector support, peculiarly successful Egmont, wherever the contention was choky astatine respective points.

"That shows that radical are paying attraction here, and sometimes immoderate radical felt that the authorities that I was portion of was not listening to them intimately capable connected immoderate issues," helium said, citing the oyster manufacture concerns.

"When definite segments of the colonisation consciousness isolated from the authorities successful power, past the authorities has to bash a amended occupation astatine listening."

Kent MacDonald

Rookie campaigner Kent MacDonald volition beryllium the adjacent MP successful the eastbound P.E.I. riding of Cardigan, the lone territory without an incumbent moving aft longtime MP Lawrence MacAulay retired.

MacDonald won much than 56 per cent of the vote.

He said helium feels acceptable to correspond the radical of Cardigan and the concerns helium heard portion campaigning.

"We person to support moving connected affordability. There's surely concerns successful the sportfishing industry, astir DFO and the regulations. Pricing is not large successful the lobster industry. So each those things adhd up to vexation with the voters. I'll code them erstwhile I spell to Ottawa," helium said.

MacDonald, a dairy husbandman from the Souris area, said helium feels good positioned to basal up for Canada as the contented of proviso absorption — which relies connected the control of imports and enables the dairy, poultry and ovum sectors to bounds the proviso of their products to what Canadians are expected to consume — once again comes nether occurrence by U.S. President Donald Trump.

"My acquisition volition bode good for me, having been progressive successful associations successful the dairy industry, truthful governing volition conscionable beryllium a bigger standard of those aforesaid activities," helium said.

Sean Casey

Liberal incumbent Sean Casey volition stay the subordinate of Parliament for P.E.I.'s Charlottetown riding, having earned astir 65 per cent of the ballot successful Monday's national election.

Casey, who was archetypal elected successful 2011 and has represented the radical of Charlottetown for the past 4 terms, said Islanders successful the superior metropolis are anxious astir immoderate of the aforesaid issues arsenic the remainder of Canada — affordability, entree to wellness care, clime change, and ongoing tensions with the U.S.

"None of these things are going to beryllium resolved overnight," Casey said

"But my consciousness is that Islanders, specifically, they get it that it isn't thing that's going to hap overnight. They privation to beryllium reassured that there's a dependable manus astatine the instrumentality and a methodical attack to each 1 of these problems."

With the Liberals nether Mark Carney apt to signifier a number government, Casey said collaboration with different parties volition beryllium key.

"I don't needfully deliberation that's a atrocious thing," helium said. "I'm assured that with Prime Minister Carney, with the stated volition of the electorate, that we volition beryllium capable to get things done."

Heath MacDonald

Liberal incumbent Heath MacDonald volition beryllium going backmost to Ottawa arsenic the MP for the cardinal P.E.I. riding of Malpeque aft securing astir 57 per cent of the vote.

MacDonald said helium looks guardant to continuing to correspond his constituents, besides citing concerns astir affordability, wellness attraction entree and Trump's tariff threats arsenic apical priorities for his 2nd term.

"People are surely looking for governmental parties to reconstruct immoderate governmental stability, and radical are bushed of the rhetoric we've seen southbound of the border. I deliberation radical privation america to enactment unneurotic for the betterment of Canada and, of course, Islanders arsenic well," MacDonald said.

Reflecting connected his archetypal term, MacDonald said the learning curve was steep arsenic helium had a batch to larn astir Parliament's protocols and procedures arsenic good arsenic gathering networks, but this time, he's already acquainted with the procedures and relationships needed to get things done.

When asked whether helium believes P.E.I. should person a spot astatine the furniture table, fixed that erstwhile Cardigan MP Lawrence MacAulay held ministerial positions nether the Trudeau government, MacDonald said helium believes the state deserves practice successful cabinet.

"I'm anticipating it being forthcoming," helium said.