CHARLOTTETOWN — Prince Edward Island's Liberal leader announced today she will be stepping down, three days after the party made a poor showing in a provincial election that saw the incumbent Progressive Conservatives win a decisive majority.
Former bureaucrat Sharon Cameron was acclaimed Liberal party leader less than five months ago.
She issued a statement today saying the party needs time to rebuild.
In Monday's election, the Liberals lost one of the four seats they held at dissolution, and Cameron failed to win a seat.
She lost to Green Party Leader Peter Bevan-Baker in the riding of New Haven-Rocky Point, one of only two seats won by the Greens.
Cameron says she takes some consolation from the results that saw the Tories capture 55.9 per cent of the popular vote and win 22 of the legislature's 27 seats.
“We accomplished a lot in the recent election, holding off a PC sweep and capturing official Opposition status," Cameron said in the statement.
"However, in the absence of winning my seat and being able to sit in the legislature, I need to put the party first and step aside."
Cameron says the timing of a leadership convention has not been determined.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 6, 2023.
The Canadian Press
